2009: AUGUST 9 TO AUGUST 23 - TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS

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It is even in the storm that the strength, majesty and power of God are revealed:
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1. The hours of pressure before the storm arrives...
2. The dark clouds and rumbles in the distance...
3. The moment of stillness...
4. Then, much like Psalms 77:17-18 describes, "The clouds poured down water, the skies resounded with thunder; Your arrows flashed back and forth. Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, Your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked..."

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Some of you have shared on Facebook about some of the amazing displays of God that you have seen in the storms, the last few weeks. I've heard of majestic lightning shows in Kansas and Nebraska. One person shared about a storm causing so much electricity in the air that the hair on people's arms stood on end in Texas. A status or two said, " enjoying more global moisturization" and "I LOVE THIS WEATHER!"

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Our daughter has excruciating headaches from multiple triggers including barometric pressure. She can tell you about 3 hours before a storm will hit with great accuracy. I have never paid as much attention to storms as I have lately to the multitude of them that have come our way in South Jersey. Today there have been two - one this morning and one as I am typing this. As the pressure changes and the darkness envelopes outside our home, the pressure builds inside Jessica's body to where she is almost paralyzed. There is no place that she can be touched on her body without it hurting. Now, as I watch the rain subside and the sinking sun peak out behind the trees, I know that her pain will decrease soon. There is light... hope... at the end of each storm for relief. Still, it is a horrible condition! God have mercy! We know that You are good - no matter the difficult circumstances!

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As Job said in his darkest times, in Job 13:15-16...

Though He slay me,

yet will I hope in Him;

I will surely defend my ways to His face.

Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,

for no godless man would dare come before Him!"

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I remember another storm. It was 1986. We were moving from Indiana to western Nebraska. Steve was driving the U-Haul truck. Behind him were two cars holding our 4 children, my sister, her husband, and me. It was night and we were on Interstate 70, in Illinois, east of St. Louis. Traffic was heavy and the storm was torrential! Our vision was limited. Driving was tedious to say the least. Then, it happened! The U-Haul truck stalled. We had to slam on our brakes. I screamed, "LORD save us! LORD help us!" It seemed that there would be no way any of us would get out alive. Hope seemed fleeting as we heard horns and the whiz of the cars passing by...

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Then, in almost slow motion, not understood by any of us at the time, it seemed that there was no traffic, no one coming behind us. It was as if we were in the eye of the storm. It was as if God took His hand and held back the traffic.

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It was later that we were to learn that a trucker had seen our horrific situation and radioed back for miles for truckers to build a wall of protection in front of us, beside us, and behind us. They did! They moved traffic over to the left of what I believe was a six lane spread of highway headed west. We were able to get our cars over to the right and breathe easier until more help arrived.

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Oh, I know... not everyone has such a "perfect" ending to a story like this. In this case, I am 100% sure that God chose to answer our prayers with "YES!"

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Just as I was typing the word "YES!", Jessica's door opened, and she headed down the hall... she is moving again... hope... LORD, save us! LORD, help us! GIGATTAATTGIG!

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HOW DO YOU RESPOND

WHEN THE STORMS OF LIFE COME?

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2009: JULY 26 TO AUGUST 9: WHAT DO MIGRAINES AND PKU HAVE TO DO WITH YOU?

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I often need to recalibrate my mind to think the way God thinks as opposed to the way that I think. We have a daughter who has had many and varied physical challenges since birth. I am not the same person that I would be had Jessica not been in my life. Last year, as she was getting ready to graduate from college, Jessica came back home to live with us because of her 24/7 migraines. We have been to many places in this country seeking medical help for her. We have tried an array of therapies, treatments, procedures, medications, and diets. Above all, we have prayed fervently. Almost daily I process this scripture:
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John 9:1-3

"And as He passed by,

He saw a man blind from birth.

And His disciples asked Him, saying,

"Rabbi, who sinned,

this man or his parents,

that he should be born blind?"

Jesus answered,

"It was neither that this man sinned,

nor his parents;

but it was in order that

the works of God might be displayed in him."

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I have put to memory a scripture that reminds me to renew my mind to think God's way and not get off track and think my way:

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Romans 12:22

"And do not be conformed to this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,

that you may prove what the will of God is,

that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

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I have friends whose lives are full of huge challenges because their children have special needs associated with autism, cystic fibrosis, AD/HD, learning disabilities, bi-polar, schizophrenia, etc. Yet, it is through those challenges that they say God has helped to mold, shape, grow, and enrich their entire families.

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Last week, I got a very special email from my friend who has a son who has PKU. Children born with PKU basically cannot metabolize protein. Unless just the right diet is given, the child's brain cells will begin to deteriorate and eventually mental retardation becomes an unwelcome guest. This story that I am about to share in my friend's many faceted life is two part. I'll let her letter to me tell the first part. I'll tell the second.

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• FIRST PART: "Dear Patti, This is an example of how God's timing is so different from our human conceptions... As you know B. and I have been struggling with the financial burden as well as worrying about being able to provide the best care for E's PKU with our limited and ineffective insurance. We have prayed fervently for 5 years over this situation. Recently we were told that the grant we were utilizing to offset the $10,000/yr cost of E's Medical formula would expire when he turned 5 years old. All along God was working everything out, even through B's lay off. If he hadn't lost that job, we wouldn't have this new (job and) insurance. Two days after E's 5th birthday, we were notified that Formula and Special Low Protein Medical Food is 100% covered! Praise God. GIGATTATTGIG!!! Love you, M

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Yes, M, GIGATTAATTGIG! He was good a year and a half ago when your house burned! He was good every time you took E to the emergency room! Just like you said, "all along God was working everything out..." So, why do we worry? Why do we not trust?

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• SECOND PART: Last year, E was in the hospital several times. At one point, he was in CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). M asked me "Why one more hospital stay?" She was weary! My husband and I tried to visit and encourage as often as we could. Eventually, E was released from CHOP and as they were checking out, M asked where E's nurse was because she wanted to thank her. She was informed that his nurse was off that day. When M asked if she could get the nurse's name to write her a thank you note, she was shocked to find that his nurse had the same uncommon last name as M's maiden name. M wrote E's nurse a note with her phone number telling her this new found information. She asked the nurse to give her a call. That phone call was the call that M had been praying about for years! E's nurse was M's long lost half sister! ..... This has been a wonderful year for strangers to become friends. M has gotten to know more extended family that she did not know that she had. It's been a time full of many blessings! God knew all the time that this month her sister would buy a house just down the road from M and her family. God knew that today, E would be getting ready to start school in the fall with the foods that he needs and his new aunt living right down the road. GIGATTAATTGIG!!!

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God says, "Ask and you will receive." Why do we so often think that it has to be in our timing. Our job is to patiently wait! Two families! Migraines! PKU! God's timing is often different from our own, yet GIGATTAATTGIG!

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JUST A NOTE: M and I have a friend in CHOP hospital with her 3 year old daughter waiting for a heart transplant since January. Today, Tuesday 7/28/09, the heart has arrived. God's timing is everything! You may click here for updates: http://momstransformed.blogspot.com/

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2009: JULY 12 TO JULY 25 - THE WHITE FORMAL DRESS

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Guest author: Dr. Steve Sikes
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Patti and I are new to the Northeast... South Jersey... but we are not new to understanding the goodness of God and/or seeing how He works in and through His people. The following is one of my favorite stories of how much God is involved in our simple, everyday lives:
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My Dad and Mom worked in children’s homes for 36 years; 18 of those years, Dad was the Superintendent of Westview Boys’ Home outside of Hollis, Oklahoma. Westview was completely supported by the generous donations of christians. Clothes, food and other items were given to the Home on a regular basis to help take care of the 65 boys.
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My family grew up on a cotton farm a mile from the Boys’ Home. I have seven sisters and five brothers and almost all of us attended a small country school, along with all of the boys at the children’s home. My GIGATTAATTGIG story goes back to the mid-1960s and centers on my sister Sharla and her upcoming 8th grade graduation ceremony.
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Sharla is one year younger than I am, so I remember this account as a freshmen in high school – soon to be a 10th grader! Sharla was told by the school that she would need a white formal dress to wear for the 8th grade graduation ceremony. All of the rest of the girls in the 8th grade class had a white formal dress – except Sharla! Mom said that we couldn’t afford to buy one, but we could sure pray. I remember us praying for Sharla to get a white graduation dress, but day after day nothing happened. Sharla prayed! She knew God would answer her prayers!
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Two days before the school’s graduation ceremony, a big box came in the mail, addressed to Westview Boys’ Home. It was filled with second-hand jeans, shirts and even some sneakers. (Clothes and shoes were regularly marked and put in the storage room for any boy who needed them in the future.)
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After emptying the box and marking and putting away the clothes, it was discovered that the box wasn’t quite empty! At the bottom was a brown sack with a note attached which read, “I know this is a Boys’ Home but if there is anyone who can use this, please take it.”
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The sack was quickly opened and found enclosed was (you guessed it!) a white formal dress – just Sharla’s size! Amazing!! I am sure you can imagine the screams and the “Thank you, God” exclamations made that day!
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As Mom and Sharla and others were in prayer believing that God would provide a white formal dress, someone else, who was listening to the Holy Spirit, was convicted to extend God's goodness via a dress to a Boys’ Home! The result ended up being much more than a young 8th grade girl getting a white formal dress for her graduation ceremony. Much more! Our entire farm family had the seed of truth planted in our hearts forever that God is involved in our everyday lives and He really does answer prayer!
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So, my friend, my encouragement is for you to keep on believing that God has your best interests in mind – in both the informal and “formal” times! Our faith rests in the One who is always good and faithful. Plus, if God chooses to send a white formal dress to a Boys’ Home at just the right time – He can address our every need!
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God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good!

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PATTI'S NOTE: Sharla grew up... went to college... became a missionary... married... she and her husband Kent eventually became missionaries in Quito, Ecuador where they still minister today. Kent and Sharla have raised 3 children to adulthood, still have one at home, and one who has already gone home to be with the LORD. They all testify to God's goodness. Faith can be passed on from generation, as it was from Jack and Robbie Sikes to Sharla, then from Kent and Sharla Marcum to their children and now from their children to their grandchildren. There are many faith stories of this family that we will share from time to time on this blog. In the last few weeks there have been tragic circumstances surrounding Kent and Sharla's son, Joshua. You may connect to Joshua and Julie Marcum's ongoing faith story here: http://momstransformed.blogspot.com/2009/07/perfect-peopletrust-god.html
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