Our Trip To The Hospital

Kasey, my fiance, and I have been dealing with some health issues that have come up in Kasey's life. We have been worried, confused, and desperately seeking answers. The depth of our worry has increased this past month because his symptoms have gotten worse. For about 6-7 months, Kasey has had bleeding in his stool (large amounts of blood loss) so we went to get a colonoscopy to see if there was anything the doctors could see from the results. We had a follow up appointment 2 weeks after to discuss things with the doctor. He was diagnosed with a disease called Ulcerative Colitis. The doctor explained what the disease entails and he order a low dose of steroids to try to stop the bleeding. Well, it didn't work.

Kasey started feeling even worse, so he became

adamant about informing the doctor all of his symptoms. He was experiencing things like, high blood pressure, faint, light headed, winded, exhausted, short of breath, and at one point we were sitting on the couch and Kasey turned to me and said, "I feel like I could literally have a heart attach any minute." It was very scary. The doctor told us on Monday (July 14th) that he wanted him to get a blood test done, to check his hemoglobin levels since he had been loosing so much blood in his stools. This was the first time something registered for Kasey and I. Low blood count would equal faintness and fatigue, we looked at each other and knew that this effected out spirit the same, positive, way. So Kasey went the next day, Tuesday (July 15th), to get the testing done. By Wednesday (July 16th) they called him back and said, "You need to go to the ER right now. You have the potential of passing out any second. Your hemeglobin level is at 5.9." (Kasey and I had no idea what 5.9 really meant and what normal blood levels should be at. Come to find out, they do blood transfusion when blood levels hit 8. And he was far beyond that point) I got a call at work on Wednesday, from Kasey, telling me what the doctor had said. I grabbed my keys and I left work. Driving to his house felt like a million miles away, I had no idea what to expect, and honesty got worried that I might lose him.

I picked him up and we were off to the ER. The nurse that took us to check his vitals and get him admitted was shocked to hear that his levels were at 5.9. I didn't understand still, so I asked, "What should normal blood levels be at." Come to find out, for a guy like Kasey, on the lower end of normal, his blood levels should be around 11-12. They got us situated in a room and we found out that Kasey was going to need a blood transfusion. We naively asked, "So, how long will this take? 5 hours? 10 hours?" The doctor politely looked at us and said, "Probably over night." This, in a weird way, was God's way of answering our cries

and prayers for healing, resources, and answers. I sat next to Kasey in his bed and told him, "This isn't exactly how I thought God would answer our prayers." But being at the hospital was an answer to prayer, we just didn't know it was how God needed to bring us peace. Well, 5 days and three pints of blood later, we are still at the hospital. His levels only went to 8 after all the blood he received, which the doctors told us his blood count was probably closer to 4. They said he could have gone into cardiac arrest. So Kasey was right that night we were sitting on our couch, he could have had heart complications and possibly died. A very scary realization that we both faced this past week.

So now what? Kasey and I are making due with what we have. These are the cards we've been dealt and this is the life we have been given. We are making the best of this whole situation and praising Jesus for Kasey's life, along the way. The disease Kasey has, doctors say, is a life long condition. It may go into remission with occasional flare ups, but it is something that we will have to work through indefinitely.

And as much as I don't want to settle for the diagnosis we've heard from the doctor. It is hard to stand our ground and say, "We believe that God is going to do a complete healing of Kasey's body." I'm sure that sounds so hopeless and pessimistic, but it's where I am at. We believe that God is capable, we believe that He can heal Kasey in the snap of a finger, but we also know that if God doesn't heal Kasey over night, that our God isn't any less loving or faithful. I want to see miracles happen in Kasey's life. Kasey wants to see miracles happen in his life. So, as he and I work through doubts and questions and concerns, all we ask from you, is to pray. Pray that Kasey would experience an unexplained, powerful and miraculous healing. That his body would be made whole, and that we would be provided with the proper wisdom on how to best take care of his body from here on out. Pray for miracles! While we know that Kasey needs to be in the hospital right now, we have both talked about the expensive hospital bills and other responsibilities we have. Trying not to worry but instead just trusting that God would continue to provide for us. Spiritually, emotionally, physically, and financially. Please pray with us and for us! We would love your support in this new journey of finding a deeper sense of hope, a strengthen faith, and a positive outlook when it comes to life in and after the hospital.

I am so thankful for Kasey's life. He is still wildly passionate even in his hospital bed. I can't wait to see the comeback of my strong and contagious man. The enemy would love to knock him out of the game, but he has too much to offer this world, God isn't done using him, and He isn't done building a beautiful testimony.

Cheers to an amazing story that is being written before our eyes.

I give everything over to You Lord

Trials Produce Steadfastness

I have noticed some people become shocked when they realize that being in a relationship with God doesn't mean life all of a sudden becomes effortless. I was reading this verse when I got to work and it really reminded me of the power in trials. There is ACTUALLY a purpose for trials?! Crazy, I know!

James 1:2-4 
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." 

God is asking us to count it all as joy when we face various trials! I can only speak for myself, but that totally goes against the grain and natural reaction I have when a trail comes up in my life. It usually doesn't feel comfortable. It feels like a stretching of my faith, trust and reliance on God. I looked up the definition of steadfastness so that I could understand the verse more and found that steadfastness is: Loyalty in the face of trouble and difficulty. I truly believe that God wants my loyalty in the face of adversity. That way He knows and I know that no matter what comes up in my life, or how hard things get, my loyalty is to Him and I will forever put Him first and serve Him. 

I find that trials are a good way of refining my character and perfecting my faith. You know how people say, "This will show their true colors!" That is how I feel about trials. It is a good meter to gauge where your attitude is at, and if your reliance isn't on God it will most likely come to the surface. I notice that God really grabs a hold of my attention when I am facing something difficult or feeling like I am getting tossed around by the things of the world.

Although it doesn't make trials any easier, there is some comfort knowing that God wants my faith to be perfected so that I am lacking nothing in my life. The goal isn't to avoid trials, it's to stay faithful to God throughout trials!

 
If you feel like you are just going through it - rest assured, you are fighting a worthy fight, you are running the race marked out for you and you are called an overcomer and a conqueror. So live like it! Hold your head up! You are doing a great job!

I give everything over to You Lord

 

Dollar Signs

God has been teaching me {alot} about finances lately. Largely because I have been trying to seek understanding from Him so He has been making Himself known in the area of money. Let me first give you some background information of how this all came about! I was offered by my sister and brother-in-law to take over their lease sometime around October. After discussing it with a few people I trust, I felt at peace with moving forward and making the commitment to take on the lease when they are ready to move out. Although, I know I only make enough to live pay check to pay check. Which I concluded was fine, and it is a season I really want to walk out and an experience I feel like God is going to teach me a lot through.

Knowing full well that finances will be a key component of me moving out and how I will be living, I know that God MUST be intertwined in my decisions or else there really doesn't leave room to have faith. There are three main points that God has brought to my attention. These three point have literally impacted my whole perception of money and my thought processes. I pray that these points can add to your existing thoughts of money and how you handle your decisions about the topic.  

{Have Faith} 
{Put Forth Effort}
{Be a Steward}

I'm so excited to talk to you about what God has shown me about these three life changers!

HAVE FAITH

{ Luke 16:10 }

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much"

Faith is a really important component - With faith you can do above and beyond what you think. If you have faith when you have only a little or the bare minimum, you will most likely be able to build lasting faith when God blesses you. Faith allows God to intervene while on the other hand faithless living only positions yourself to get in the way of what God could be doing in your life. While faith is a huge factor in how I will be handling my finances for me it is partnered with effort.  Which leads me to the second aspect that God has been teaching me. 

PUT FORTH EFFORT

Put Forth Effort! I have found that it is crucial to have faith that God WILL show up but to also partner with Him and work for the financial aspirations you have. I know that I have a big part in making my finances run smoothly. If I am being lazy, not being diligent at my job or just expecting money with no effort, that logic has flaws in it. So while I am believing & having faith that God will provide an adequate amount of money I have recently asked my boss for a few more hours at work as a sign that I am putting forth effort that will tag team my faith goals & how I know God WILL be showing up in my life.

BE A STEWARD

Lastly, and the concept of being a steward! This point is really what initiated this blog post. While listening to Dave Ramsey and trying to see if God would speak to me about anything, Dave brought up the topic of being a steward. A concept I am familiar with simply from reading scripture and listening to offering transitions in church. Have you ever experienced hearing something over and over but never really {hearing} it? Until there is a point in life were it is applicable to you and the season you are in. The impact it has and how it resonates is way more personal when you are experiencing and walking through a particular season. The part that really struck me was when I looked up the definition of {steward} and it stated:

Stew·ard

A  person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others

The instant I read that definition I was impacted. I am only stewarding Gods money that He has so GRACIOUSLY allowed me to manage for Him. If everything is His in the first place than money is not exempt from that. I will conduct my life in a way that demonstrates first hand that God is the overseer of my finances. I am only being an agent of what He's given me, blessed me with and asked me to take care of.

The combination of faith, effort & stewardship that God has been teaching me, has allowed me to comprehend and understand my place in handling the way I see money and what I do with my money. I want God involved in every area of my life - money is a big area and I'm desperate for Him to be in the fabric and make up of how I conduct myself. Finances included!    

I give EVERYTHING over to You Lord