Healing Is A Process

Healing is a process

There are numerous and varied processes by which the body fights disease, repels invaders and heals itself. Old and sick cells are replaced while the body is mending skin, bones, organs and every part of the body.

Modern scientists and great researchers are still seeking to understand how hormones and enzymes are produced by our bodies to effectively fight for the health of own bodies.

This is no accident of evolution. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Therefore, I say healing is a natural process in the body instigated by supernatural means.

God created the body to heal itself. It is tremendously amazing that our bodies are designed to heal themselves by still little known or wholly unknown processes.

Yet, there are times when the miraculous supersedes the process. Instances when God divinely intervenes in the means by which he designed the body to heal.

We are given descriptions over and again in the Bible when God provided instantaneous shortcuts to complete healing. These are called miracles and they are still available today at God’s divine will in response to fervent prayers of faith in his power and divine intervention.

Hallelujah! I still believe and God‘s people still believe in divine miracles.

What happens when the miracles we seek are not instantly seen in response to our prayers? That is when we continue to believe God. We believe him for the instantaneous miracle AND we believe that the supernatural process he began at creation is still at work through the natural process of healing.

Please remember that God‘s supernatural process of natural healing is constantly at work in our lives.

Let me give you an example.

Two weeks after I entered the hospital a therapist asked about the inside of my arm.

When did that happen?

I said, That happened in the emergency room the first day I was here.

Then she said, Two weeks later, it still looks bad. Given time it will not only look better but it will be better. Your body even now is absorbing that old blood and healing that wound. It is in the process of healing.

She said, Consider the brain stem where the blood clot caused the stroke. That small compact area is inflamed and swollen.

However, the body is working right now to dissipate the swelling and heal that area of your brain stem. It looks bad because it is bad. You see and feel the effects of the trauma in your brain stem, but it is getting better. 

Given time, it will not only look better but feel better and it will be healed. As it heals, the effects all through your body should begin to dissipate and we hope, reverse.

Therefore, my dear friends, while we await the instantaneous miracle we also trust the completion of the supernatural process that God instituted in our natural bodies.

Here is my arm after three weeks.

This is my arm after four weeks.

I do not know if the brain stem heals by the same ratio or in the same time frame, but rest assured it is in the midst of the process of healing. It is operating as designed. It will create new pathways around the affected brain tissue and function and feeling will be partially or completely restored.  

I am waiting and believing for the miraculous and in the meantime I am trusting God‘s already instituted divine process. Hallelujah!!

Thank you.

Davy

Fall Risk-A Label

The day I was moved to the rehab floor, the nurse put a new wristband on me. It labeled me a fall risk.

I was joking with him and I said, That’s not very nice to put a label on me.

He said, Everyone on this floor is a fall risk, most of them just don’t know it.

So I accepted the label. 

It simply says, I’m a little wobbly. I may need some help. I may need for you to extend to me a little extra grace. I may need a helping hand.

Yeah, that’s OK. I will wear that label in life.

Davy

Perspective

Dad has always been mindful of having proper perspective  This was his perspective last night.

We have had a challenging night and day at Odie’s and headed for another long night again. 

But not as bad as a day with no water.🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

The misery was mitigated by the fact that I can reach and get a sip of cold water. Hallelujah!

Peace In Trusting Even In 2024

 Hey Friends,

This is Odie reporting in for the first Saturday of the new year. If you have not read our posts for the last week, please go back and catch up with our current life. 

I hope you are having a fabulous 2024! When I wrote my final post for 2023, I was excited to leave that year behind! This new year had to be better than the last! 

Six days in, was I right? The answer is a big fat bold NO!! We are not spending today with friends in Tennessee, as planned for months. Today, we focus on getting Dad well. 

Last Friday, I was preparing things to leave my beach house. We thought the BoggsMobile was headed to Kentucky. My phone rang, stopping my work. I figured it was a momentary pause, but I was clearly mistaken. 

When I answered, I heard Mom alerting me that Dad was extremely ill. She was saying pray and prepare to go to the hospital. If the hospital was even on their minds, this was serious! Many thoughts and emotions were running through my mind. I was speeding around my house as fast as my chair would go. 

I was panicked, terrified of the unknown. Praying, pleading for God to help my Daddy. Then, I was praising all in the same moment. My brain was a jumbled mess, more than usual for me!

All the while,  I could sense God was working! Immediately, it was apparent to me that God had put several things in place for us. Those things are not just small coincidences. God was right with us, even in this shocking time, to all of our family and friends.

He had us in the right place, with the proper people there to help us! I knew God had carried us this far. He will never drop us! My family is safely in His hands.

I am reminding myself multiple times every day to trust Him! He is seeing us through each second of every day. Giving us the strength to face what is happening right then. We are blessed!

I am thankful that there is peace in trusting the Lord in all circumstances! I have had this song on replay in my head since we were in the ER last week. I decided to repost the lyrics today.

Blog archives told me I first shared Peace In Trusting on January 9th 2021. Wow, I did not know what that year held for us! There were definitely long periods of uncertainty for us that year as well. Dad's health problems began at the end of that month. He and I were first diagnosed with COVID  on January 31st.

We found our Peace In Trusting Him through a long COVID fight. Dad has lived to declare the goodness of God to many people since then! Dad has been a living miracle. Without a doubt, I know He will praise God near and far for bringing him through our current battle. I praise God in advance!

I will leave you with the song that has helped me this week. Thanks for joining me for a little bit of your day! I appreciate all of the prayers for our family!

Odie

Peace In Trusting 

Written by Sonya Isaacs Yeary, Jimmy Yeary and Becky Isaacs Bowman Makem Smile Music BMI, Sony Tree ATV, Cedar Church Music BMI, RI Bowman Music BMI

Verse 1

God only knows how I've cried

Heartbroken and my hands are tied

But He's been faithful time and time again

And although I don't know how it ends

Chorus 

There's peace in trusting the Lord

Peace when my faith and fear are at war

So I don't have to worry 

He knows what's in store 

And there's peace in trusting the Lord

Yes there's peace in trusting the Lord

Verse 2

If His will should not go my way 

If the answer is not what I prayed

Then I'll trust Him for what I can't see

Cause I know He knows whats best for me   

Chorus 

There's peace in trusting the Lord

There is peace peace peace 

Peace when my faith and fear are at war

So I don't have to worry 

He knows what's in store 

And there's peace in trusting the Lord

Tag 

There is peace peace peace

In trusting the Lord 

Thankful He Came

Hey Friends,

This is Odie, checking in with you today. I hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. I appreciate you spending a moment of your Saturday with me.

We are in final prep mode around the BoggsMobile. Early Monday morning, I am flying home to Ohio. On Tuesday, my parents are scheduled to fly to Nigeria. Prayers are appreciated for all of us this week. Especially for my parents as they embark on their mission trip to see our precious Nigerian friends! 

This is the final Saturday in November. I have used this month of Thanksgiving to express extra gratitude for just a few of my blessings. God has blessed me abundantly, and I will forever be thankful! I have covered Heaven, Veterans, and My Friend Amanda. Today, I wanted to close out the month with one more thing that comes to mind when I think about things to thank God for.

Christmas time is upon us! I love this time of year and the reason we have Christmas. Jesus is the reason for this season every year! December is the month we set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus. He was born so we could have a Savior and hope! Today, I am thankful for the birth of Jesus! 

When God sent Jesus into the world, He sent His only son to come to change our world! Jesus gave up Heaven for you and me! He had never experienced the pain and hardships of life. Jesus and His life are the greatest gifts given to mankind!

The birth of Jesus, His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave changed my life! He is still changing lives in 2023! Jesus Christ came into this world with a purpose: to save sinners. I am reminded of a scripture my Dad often quotes. It is now one of my favorites.

This is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptations, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.

1 Timothy 1:15

While pondering this topic, I remembered the song Until He Came, which my parents wrote many years ago. Click the video below to hear the song. The message in this song wraps everything up nicely! I am extra thankful He came and for His sacrifices just for us!

See you next time.

Odie

Thankful For Our Veterans

Hey Friends,

This is Odie reporting from the BoggsMobile. I hope you are having a great Saturday. We are doing well. 

On Saturdays in November, I am focused on being extra thankful. Last week, I was thankful for Heaven. This week, I am thankful for our Veterans.

Today is November 11th on the calendar. It is the Official Veterans Day here in America. Most businesses celebrate the holiday this coming Monday.

Thank you to everyone who has served our great nation! It is because of the sacrifice of you and other great humans that we can enjoy our freedoms today! 

It is impossible for me to personally thank all of our family and friends who either are serving or have served our country! Our servicemen, women, and veterans are extraordinary people! I admire and honor you today! I am proud to call you my friends and family!

The words thank you can not adequately convey my gratitude to you! I wanted to express my thankfulness from the bottom of my heart! I pray God gives you an extra special blessing today!

Our Family Soldier

My youngest first cousin on the Boggs side is Lucas James Osborn. He currently attends college in Morehead, Kentucky. Luke has already enlisted in the Army and has committed to serving six years upon graduation.

Last month, Luke rang my doorbell. I answered the door to see a soldier dressed in his dress uniform. I am proud of our soldier! I am already praying for his safety!

Thanks for stopping by to visit with me today. Please take a moment to thank someone for serving our nation.

Odie

Thankful For Heaven

 Hey Friends,

This is Odie; today is a travel day for us. We are changing states this time around. The BoggsMobile is headed toward Wichita, Kansas. We anticipate a great week with Pastor John DiZazzo and the Bethany Revival Center church family!

It is November, our Thanksgiving month in the USA. I decided to write about things I am thankful for this month. This week, I have been thinking a lot about Heaven. I am so grateful that I can look forward to Heaven! 

We have had several friends finish their earthly lives this year. Lately, we seem to get sad news far too often. It has been hard to think I will not get to be with them again here.

The person who has left this life gets to leave this crazy world behind. Now, they forever live in a perfect place. They have finished their race. Heaven was their ultimate goal! They are winners! Once they have reached Heaven, they are healed, happy and whole. Most of all, they have met Jesus face to face!

Part of me is happy that they completed their life's journey. Then my heart aches for the family and friends left behind! I wish I knew what to do or say to help people in their time of pain! I always feel extremely inadequate in this area.

Saying goodbye down here seems so final. Nothing ever fully prepares you for those sad days! I do not care if it is an expected event or comes as a complete shock. The finality of that friend or family member taking their last breath on earth never gets easier.

There is a song Titled Better Off There by The Browns. It was released in 2020. I  have loved the message in this song for years. Earlier this year, I pulled it up to play for Mom. That is when I discovered Sonya Isaacs Yeary, her husband Jimmy Yeary and Wayne Haun co-wrote the song. No wonder the message is strong in the lyrics! Sonya and Jimmy are two of my favorite writers!

I have found this song coming to my mind many times over the last several months. I will forever miss all of my family and friends that have gone home before me. I know they are Better Off There! We will meet again someday soon!

I am so thankful that I have Heaven to look forward to. Do not get me wrong, I love my life now! I am blessed beyond measure and eternally grateful! When God says, my time is here is finished. I am looking forward to Heaven.

We all have a set time to live. God has numbered our days. Once a Christian has left this life, we get the reward of Heaven. If we have received Christ as our Savior and lived according to His word in the Bible. We will see Him and our Christian loved ones in Heaven! Oh, What a blessed hope we have!

Most of you reading this post are looking forward to achieving your goal of Heaven, too! It will not be long until we are all there together with Christ! We can praise Him for the first million years for all of His goodness to us! Then, meet me on the streets of gold. I will be running, catch me if you can! We will all be Better Off There!

There is one more thing I have to get out today before I sign off. Friend, if you are not a born again believer in Christ, I pray for you! Life here without having God to guide you is miserable. When this life is over, without Christ, hell and torment are all you have to look forward to. I do not want one more soul to have to experience hell. There is nothing fun or beautiful there! It will be a place of utter pain! Please do not go there!

I encourage you to find someone to talk to about Christ right now. You can always reach out to us if you need help finding Christ! We love to show others how to get to Him! Contact us here.

See you next week!

Odie

Remembering Again September 11, 2001

Nearly 3000 people died on American soil on September 11, 2001 because religious nuts hated America, hated capitalism, hated our system of government, hated anyone that did not serve their god and tried their best to destroy us.
 
It must be said loudly that most followers of that same religion did not, do not want to kill Americans or destroy Americans. But it must be said just as loudly that these men killed Americans in the name of their religion.
 
3000 lives ended in a moment. 22 years later and people are still grieving, still hurting, still crying and still trying to live on. 
 
Many in the world would like us to forget.
 
Many in the press would like for us to forget.
 
Many in the government would like for us to forget.
 
But we must never forget.
 
Families were forever changed and scarred. 
 
Parents lost children. 
 
Spouses lost their companions. 
 
Friends were separated forever. 
 
Many businesses lost key employees. 
 
New York City Fire Department lost 343 firefighters. 
 
New York City Police Department lost 23 officers. 
 
New York City Port Authority lost 37 officers. 
 
Over 3200 children lost at least one parent.
 
How could we ever forget?
 
We must never forget. We must never omit the details. We must never sidestep the truth to avoid hurting a snowflake's feelings. Those 19 hijackers and the men who sent them did not care for the feelings of thousands they hoped to kill.
 
We must know. We must learn. We must remember. We must care. We must remain vigilant. We must never forget.
 
September 11, 2001 made me want to pull people I love closer and let them know how much I care for them. It still does. Nearly 3000 people lost their lives in NYC, Washington DC and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The more I read the stories of victims and survivors and heroes, the more I value life at its very core.
 
Life is valuable. Life is fleeting. Life is too short to waste on ourselves. God help me to remember.
 
We visited the 9/11 Museum and Memorial in August 2014 and 2016. These two visits had a sobering impact on our family. We were seeing many of the film clips and pictures for the very first time. I have described it as an emotional punch in the gut.
 
The hours we spent there were some of the most sobering, severe and significant hours in my life. It is a place that haunts not only my sleep, but often even my waking hours. It may seem cliche but I assure you it is not, 9/11 changed our lives forever, even those of us that were thousands of miles removed from the destruction.
 
In the museum I came to the slow realization that we are not talking about a group of 3000 random people being tragically killed, which is heartbreaking in itself, but we are talking about 3000 individuals, all with families, hopes, dreams, ambitions and plans.
 
The personal cost, the personal hurt, the personal tragedies are completely overwhelming when standing on their own. To hear their voices, to see their pictures, to watch video clips of them with their families, to hear their loved ones talk about them is powerfully poignant. When you put it all together in one event and attempt to add up all the loss of real, living, breathing humanity, it is unfathomable!
 
Consider just one personal story we learned there. It is the story of Captain Terrance S. Hatton the commander of Rescue 1 in Manhattan. Captain Terry Hatton was killed in the north tower when it fell. 
 
His wife, Beth Petrone Hatton was the Executive Assistant to Mayor Rudy Giuliani. She was standing on the steps of City Hall as the World Trade Center collapsed. She knew exactly where her husband was at that moment.
 
Captain Hatton was a man of duty. He was 41 years old and had served the NYFD for 21 years. In those 21 years he had earned 19 medals for bravery including the highest award in the city, the Medal of Honor. He was considered by those that served with him as one of the best.
 
Beth Petrone knew all that. She knew her honorable husband would be on the highest accessible floor conducting rescue operations. That was his job and he did it well.
 
As she watched the tower fall, she instantly knew he was dead. The dust engulfed City Hall and Beth found herself holding handfuls of the debris thinking she was somehow holding her husband.
 
They found Captain Terry Hatton's remains two weeks later and buried him in the fashion of the hero he was. By then, Beth Petrone Hatton had learned she was expecting their first child.
 
Terri Elizabeth Hatton was born in May of 2002. She is a beautiful young lady now and she will never know her heroic father except for stories. He will never hold her. He will never tuck her into bed. He will never read to her. He will never walk her down the aisle. He is gone. Beth lost her husband and little Terri lost her Daddy, simply because he went to work that morning.

That is the story of only one man that died and it does not even include the hurt of his parents, his siblings, his other relatives, his friends or the men he worked with and all the rest he left behind.

Multiply that one story by 3000 plus stories and you have not even begun to scratch the surface of why we should never forget!

Maybe you will enjoy your family today. Maybe you will go to church and worship. Maybe you must concentrate today on walking through your own personal hardships or even tragedy. Wherever you are and whatever stage in life you are in, please take a moment to think about all that were lost on September 11, 2001. 

Take a moment to remember. Take a moment to consider what might have been. Take a moment to pray for Terri Elizabeth Hatton and many, many of thousands of others that are moving forward and trying to overcome each day.

I believe we owe them that much.

Thank you.

Davy Boggs

5 Years And Still Thankful

Hey Friends,

This is Odie reporting in from my Ohio Beach Cottage. I am happy to be home for a quick visit. We have a busy weekend and week on the books. Check back in the coming days to see our fun with family and friends. 

June 1st was the 5th anniversary since I officially moved into my Beach Cottage. Here is a picture from that first night.

It does not feel like it has not been that long. I am so grateful for the beautiful place to call my home! In the last 5 years, so much has happened in the world and in my life. It has been a major blessing to have my own safe place!

The entire home is a series of miracles! I do not want to forget God’s provision! The love and support from my family and friends turned a dream into a reality. My heart still overflows with gratitude!

Many of you reading this post played a role in helping us build my home. Thank you one more time from the bottom of my heart. I thank God for you! I still pray for God to bless you abundantly!

This week marked another 5th house anniversary for me. August 17th, 2018. We were joined by many of the incredible people that help us build my home for house tours and dedication. It was a privilege to show off my finished miracle. We had a sweet dedication on my front porch!

That evening was fantastic. We had friends from near and far come to celebrate with us. Lots of prayers, money, blood, sweat, tears and work brought us to that moment. It was an extraordinary day of memories that still warms my heart! 

I encourage you to read this archived blog post here. Dad summed up the wonderful dedication day in an excellent way. Below is just a sampling of photos from that night that are special to me.

I will never forget the love I experienced that day! I am blessed beyond measure! I just wanted to pause for a moment to thank God for His unspeakable gift of my beautiful home!

Thank you for joining me as I stroll down memory lane. Here is a small tour of the front portion of my home. This was recorded during our 2020 online covid revival.

See you next week. 

Odie

Choosing Christ

Hey Friends,

This is Odie reporting in from the magnificent state of Maine. I am thrilled to be here. I have been waiting two years to see this scenery again! God's creation is astounding, and I am always amazed!

Today I come to you one more time with a heart of gratitude. This post was born out of a random moment that became worship for me.

I Choose Christ

Written by three great songwriters, Sue C. Smith, Gerald Douglas Crabb and Jason Cox.

Last week, I was preparing things to leave home. I was singing to myself while working around my house. I was singing I Choose Christ, which Karen Peck and New River made popular.

I thought I had previously shared this song here, but I could not find a record of the post. The song I Choose Christ has spoken to my soul from the day it was released. A few days ago, the lyrics hit home with me in a special way.

Here is a glimpse of my thoughts from that moment. My entire life has been full of questions. Most of the time, the questions outnumbered the answers. I have been blessed with parents and people that taught me to Choose Christ.

I know that God has carried me every single day of my life. Through my pain and struggles, I survive because of Him! Do I understand everything today? Absolutely not!! God is in control of the big picture. Every single day I choose Him.

The part of this song that spoke to me recently was the bridge and the chorus. Here are the lyrics that made me worship.

Bridge

His grace is sufficient

Whatever happens in my life

I have made my decision 

No matter what price

Chorus

I choose Christ 

When everything around me says give up

I choose faith I choose to trust

to believe that He is good

He'll come through 

Like He said He would

Everytime Oh I choose Christ

As I sang these words, I was overwhelmed by all the times that God had brought me through those times when it seemed easier to give up. When I could see no hope and the future was uncertain. 

Now I am on the other side of that trial years, months, or days down the road. I can testify  God came through just like He said He would. 

Right now, things are going good for me. My pain is not a constant struggle for me. On days like these, it can be easier to trust Him. I have found Him also on the hard days. On the hard days, it can be harder to find or feel Him near me in the fog of life. Without a doubt, I know He is there too!

He is even working on my questions and problems now. The unanswered prayers of today will one day be answered! I am thankful that I have chosen Christ. Because of Him, I, by faith, have hope and victory for today and tomorrow. 

I am once again determining in my heart to choose Christ. Will you join me in trusting in Christ? He will be with you too!

Thanks for stopping to visit with me today! I hope you have a great weekend.

Odie

A Shout of Praise In Advance

Hey Friends,

This is Odie reporting in for another Saturday. Today I have a couple personal things to say before I get to what is on my mind for this post.

Happy Anniversary 

Thursday was my parent's wedding anniversary. Happy anniversary Dad and Mom! 

Thank you for choosing to love each other thru life! Your loyalty to God and each other is amazing! I love you both more than I can say with words! Your lives are an inspiration to me! You have modeled what a marriage and ministry partnership should look like and I am thankful for that.

I have been blessed with a front row seat and I have witnessed how you work together in evangelism. Thank you for allowing me to tag along and be a part of the fun.

Happy Birthday

Monday is the birthday of my beautiful Mama! She is an amazing lady and works so hard to help me and to keep us on the road and going as a family.

Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you so much! You are the most fantastic lady in the world. I want to be just like you when I grow up!

A Shout Of Praise In Advance

I have praise in my heart that is flowing out! God is at work in my life and working for several people I know. I owe Him praise for so many things!

God has brought so many answered prayers back to my remembrance! He deserves more glory and praise for being so good to us! I did not pray alone for many of the prayers that He has answered for me. People around the world were praying for the same needs. I do not care whose prayers reached Heaven. All I know is my God heard every prayer and answered the prayers for His children!

I am here today with a list of things I am waiting to see completed! I am still waiting for the moment that those needs will be met. Today I am encouraged to believe God to do the miraculous at any second!

Until then, I need to shout right now like the miracles are already done! Through the pain, I am going to praise. Nothing can steal my faith, hope and joy. I want to stomp on the devil's head and give him a black eye! He will not be the victor in my life! Christ conquered him for me!

Trust me, I know I will have struggles to overcome every day, But God is for me! I will overcome by the grace of God. It is not always easy to see the good through the bad. While I have a clear mind, I am writing this to remind myself that God is working!

This has been burning in my heart for days! We have been privileged to be in several faith-building services lately. I left those services knowing that God had changed lives and answered prayers! 

I am sitting at my desk with joy in my heart and praise on my lips! A minute ago, I had to pause my typing to throw my hands up in praise! I do not care if my neighbors hear me giving a victory shout!

Let me share what started me on this thought process. Recently a person asked my Mom a question, and I can not get away from it! This gentleman wanted to know if we still see God do miracles. I was not right there, but I could hear the conversation. Mom said yes, God is still doing miracles! He said miracles where man and medicine are not involved? Mom told him that is happening today! 

Inside I was screaming I am a miracle. God has done so much for me! Gratitude was welling up in my heart; I was about to explode. By the time I joined the conversation, that moment had passed. The gentleman had to return to his work. 

Now for two weeks, I have remembered that conversation. I am still rejoicing because God is still doing miracles! Miracle after miracle has flooded my mind. I am taking a moment to praise God today!

I will close by encouraging you to believe God can work in your life too. He is working right now for you! It never hurts to pray one more time for your needs. I also encourage you to praise Him for the answered prayer in advance! He is worthy of all the praise!

Thanks for stopping by to visit with me. Thank you for allowing me to share my heart with you. May God bless you in a special way this weekend. 

Odie

Motivated To Be More Grateful

Hey Friends,

Welcome to another Saturday post from me, Odie. Thank you for spending part of your time with me. This is a travel day for us. The BoggsMobile is Florida bound.

Today I have a little motivation and encouragement to share with you. Earlier this week, I could not get away from thinking about a couple of things that I focus on a lot, and those things help me survive everyday life. 

I decided to write about the thoughts that were swirling in my head. Hopefully, you can find the motivation to be grateful as well.

Firstly, I try to be grateful for the life God has blessed me to live. He has blessed me with an innumerable amount of blessings. Yes, I face challenges I do not enjoy, but my life has been incredible! I strive to Thank God daily for my blessings and show Him my gratitude!

Secondly, my parents have instilled the value of trusting God's plan for me. It is my prayer and desire to be healed completely, but His plan may not be for me to be healed. Dad and I both live by this motto God is in control!

There is one thing that I know for certain. God will always be God. His plan for my life is perfect. I must trust in Him no matter what my circumstances are now. 

Does my gratitude and trust in God's plan improve everything automatically? My answer is no. It does help me be at peace more when my attitude is right. 

I have often shared two things that help me thru my struggles. I pray for others who are suffering too. I   am never the only person that is having a rough time. Then I  look for inspiration from others who must overcome life's obstacles. 

I do not do this to magnify other people's problems to make myself look better. Praying for another brother or sister, no matter their need encourages me. Sometimes it is easier to believe God will move in their needs. Also, someone else's motivation inspires me to overcome more hurdles myself.

Several years ago, I became familiar with  Nick Vujicic Ministries. The life Nick lives is an inspiration to me. Nick was born without arms and legs. Life has not been easy for him. Now Nick travels the world using his testimony to bring glory to God!

 I first read his story in the book called Life Without Limbs. Click here to find the book on Amazon. Since then, I have read several articles about him and listened to his stuff online. Click here to see his YouTube channel.

Below is a clip of Nick that has encouraged me recently. I hope it inspires you too.

God has used many of you to encourage me along the way too. Thanks for being my friends! I pray God blesses you today.

Odie

A Small Stepping Stone to Victory

 Hey Friends,

This is Odie reporting for this final Saturday of February. I hope you are doing well. I am doing really good. 

I wrote about A Small Victory I experienced on the first Saturday of the month. God has blessed me enormously lately. I am thankful beyond words for His strength, comfort, peace and so much more. Those are just a few daily benefits that He has loaded me with.

I am happy to report that I still have not had some of the horrible pain. Also, I have not had to struggle for every movement since my last update. I did have several nights of a lot of pain and stiffness. Some days I had to move slowly.

Remember when I wrote about One Prayer Away? The day after that post was live for all to see, God met me so mightily at church. I took my burdens to the altar that morning and left them there. I knew something was different after my prayer that morning. My prayers and supplication were heard!

Today I am here to give you another praise report! I  am grateful when He allows me to have a small stepping stone on my way to complete healing! For the last two weeks, my pain has been very little. Most days, it was just a nagging ache that was manageable! I have been able to move better than I have in a while!

I praise God and glorify him! I thank Him for giving me a visitation from Heaven that I am still feasting on today! The blessings of God are marvelous! I can say that He has never once left me nor forsaken me. His promises are true, and He will be with me until the end.

Thank you to anyone who has prayed for us. The prayers are working. I am not walking yet, but I know God is working! My heart is encouraged. Dad is not fully healed yet, but I thank God for seeing him through each day!

 

 While I am waiting, I am leaning and trusting in a big God. He can do all things! God's will, timing and plan are always best! Thanks for reading!

Odie

One Prayer Away

 Hey Friends,

This is Odie writing today. Thanks for dropping by for my Saturday post. It is a joy to have each of you here for a moment. I hope you are doing well!

I am writing to you with a nugget of encouragement that has been encouraging me lately. I hope it helps you too.

A couple weeks into this year, I had several things heavy on my heart. I had been taking them multiple times a day to God in prayer. Yet, answers to those prayers were not visible.

I chose to keep praying and believing. I knew God was in control of all things! Early one morning, I woke up with everything weighing me down. The questions and fears were endless.

I feel like God dropped a little phrase in my mind to give me the boost I needed. That phrase was, "one prayer away." I had the push I needed to keep praying for the answers!

In every aspect of life and any need we have, the answer to our prayers may be one prayer away. My heart hurts to think I could give up praying one prayer short of a miracle.

I have been clinging to this thought for many days! I have utilized my ability to bring my petitions before God in prayer! God is still answering prayer in 2023. I have already heard many testimonies this year!

Friend, your answered prayer could be just one prayer away! Keep praying for your lost family member, healing, or whatever is close to your heart! I believe with my whole heart God is working!

Thanks for reading. I will leave with a great scripture from the word of God that has been speaking to me. It is found in Luke 18:27.

And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

Odie

Thankful For A Small Victory

 Hey Friends,

This is Odie reporting in for another Saturday post. I hope you are having a great day! I am doing good. 

I typed this post several days ago, but sadly It did not save right. When I returned to proof it a couple of days later, I found only a blank screen! What in the world? That is not what I expected to find! Here is my take two on writing this post.

Thank you all for always helping us pray for things when we ask! You all have helped us bear a lot of heavy burdens! Many of you have reached out to us this week to let us know that you are praying for my family! You will never know how much your prayers and encouraging words mean to us!

The Backstory

If you are new around here, let me give you some backstory. I was born premature and was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP) at 2 years old. `I will not rehash my entire life story. My life has been a series of miracles leading up to today. I have lived a fabulously blessed life!

Here is how CP affects me. My brain does not send the proper signals to my muscles. That is the reason I can not walk. My muscles are always tight. The tightness can cause me much pain and stiffness. I also have very little balance on my own.

We have been praying for my complete physical healing for 35 years. It has not been time for God to heal me yet. He has a purpose and plans for my life. I have tried to be content and trust His plan and timing.

God has been so faithful and helped me through my life. I will not retell the entire story today. God touched me miraculously in 2006. With God's help, I could relax some of my muscles some of the time. My pain went down 80 or 90 percent! It has been a fantastic blessing in my life.

Now I still have good, bad and occasionally horrible days. Thank God the good days have far outweighed the rest! Weather and other factors can contribute to my bad days. Other times they show up without warning. I push through and overcome. Soon it gets better.

Small Victory

I am here to share a testimony with you. I like to share answered prayers. I want to thank God for every victory, whether big or small!

Last month I had a horrible day physically that turned into weeks. This spell was almost three weeks of pain, stiffness, no balance, cramps and muscle spasms. I was miserable!

I usually do not share about the bad days. There was no hiding this one if you were around me. Changing positions was excruciating and difficult. My average speed of moving is much slower than most people's. During this time, I could not even move at my normal pace. Hurry was not even remotely possible. I would tell my brain to hurry. The correct message never was delivered to the proper channels, for my hurry speed to kick into gear.

At the two week mark, I was desperate for some help from God. I was not asking for my total healing at this point. I just wanted strength and relief. I would have moments of relief. I am so grateful!  

I reached out to a few close friends for extra prayer. They were gracious enough to come alongside me in my time of need. They bombarded Heaven on my behalf. Thank God for amazing friends!

During this period, I was pouring out my heart to God. There was a moment I felt my last thread of strength was breaking. I was at the end of my rope. 

The Lord gently reminded me of some of the times He touched me. He spoke to my heart and said, "I touched you, then I can touch you now." Oh, I rejoiced! I was thankful for the reminder. He was aware of my current situation!

Was I better right then? No, but I had peace. The bad days continued for another week. Then one moment, I transferred much easier from my bunk to my wheelchair. When I stood up, I felt strength back in my legs!

I rejoiced for a small victory! I may still have rough moments, but they have been getting less frequent! Thank God for coming to my rescue one more time!

Thanks for joining me today! I encourage you to thank God for small victories! Those small victories add up to big blessings!!

Odie