Odie's Heart Full of Praise

A Note From Odie:

Hey friends, it is almost 2:30 AM Saturday morning as I type now. I can not find sleep yet. I am full of thoughts about what God has done for me. Two weeks ago this battle started with blurred vision in my left eye on Saturday. By Sunday morning, as most of you know, I was mostly blind in my left eye. In a way I sit here shaking my head saying that it does not seem like two weeks ago, It feels like yesterday.  In other ways it has been a very long two weeks. 

I think back to Friday night before this all started as we finished revival in Central City, Kentucky. At the end of the service The Lord visited the place strongly with peace. As we begin to sing Peace Peace Wonderful Peace, wave after wave of God's peace came through the building that night. I remember thanking God for the nearness of His spirit. Little did I know how much I would lean on His Peace the next two weeks.  

By that Sunday night in Salem, Kentucky I was in the thick of the fight. Yet I had an assurance of peace to weather whatever this storm brought my way. Most of the times I have had way more questions than answers but God's peace settled me. Now I am seeing victory clearer and clearer everyday. My heart is so full of joy right now. 

One week ago I crashed into bed after an eventful afternoon and evening at the ER. I must say the ER staff at Bethesda North Hospital treated me great last week. All along I have prayed for God to heal or to guide me where I needed to go to get the correct care. After last weeks MRI results I was rejoicing over some good news but I still did not have the promise of my sight returning. 

I chose to believe I would see again because of God. Everyday is  better!  I can not begin to thank God for His help!! God began to give us insight Monday into what was going on spiritually and He began to heal me physically. Although I am not seeing like I used to, I am improving tremendously every day.

My doctor's office called yesterday to check on my progress and I gladly told the receptionist who called that I am praising God because my sight is coming back. I have talked to her many times in the last two weeks. I was desperate to get the correct treatment in a timely manner. I have stressed to her, I am blind and I need help. I was glad to now be able to tell her that God is helping me.

Over the last last several days I have leaned on scriptures and songs to encourage me.  "Be still an know that I am God" has been my lifeline. During my MRI I was listening to Enlighten on XM and the song "Stand Still" began to play. As I listened closely to the words of one my all time favorite songs again, every word hit home. I had to stop myself from losing it completely right there. I knew again this was in God's hands.

Take few moments to listen my favorite group sing this timeless song. This video is from September 2010. 

I can not yet declare total victory. I know it is close!!!  I know it is because of prayer! Thank you to all who went to war on my behalf. Please continue to pray. I hope and pray I never face this again, but I have no promise this will not return. But I will try to rest with these words in my mind 

Victory is mine Victory is mine 

Victory today is mine

I told satan get the behind

Victory today is mine.

Odie

Thursday 4/24/14

Odie is still gaining ground in her vision every day. We are almost continually praising and blessing God for it. God is giving us victory in this fight and I can not begin to tell you how grateful we are. Odie wanted me to pass the word to everybody how much she appreciates all of the prayers, calls, texts, emails and comments. May God bless you for your kindness. It has all meant so much to her and to us.

We are still in limbo as to an appointment with the neurologist but we are content with that. We have decided to make plans to leave next week in time to begin tent revival in Oklahoma City May 4th. It feels good to have a plan. If the plan needs to be adjusted we are content to do that as well. We feel like God is in control and that is the safest place we know to be.

Several days ago we were asked to preach the last two nights of revival for Kelly Jo's brother, Danny Morgan. We were not sure we would still be around but once we decided to wait in Ohio another week we were glad to accept the invitation. Last night was our first night of our commitment there and we will finish tonight. I am sure we will have some pictures later.

We had a great response in the altar last night. There were some folks that had never been there before and God really touch them with His Word. I love seeing folks open their hearts to God during the preaching and then respond to Him in the altar service. Some lives are so messed up and mixed up but none are too far for God to reach them. God has grace for the greatest need. We saw that at work last night and that is worth the trip to church!

When I called our Pastor Wednesday evening to bring him up to date on Odie's condition and our schedule change, he invited me to preach Sunday. We will be there Sunday morning and we are looking forward to it. It is always great to be in home church.

I am spending my days working on small bus projects. I always have a list of things that need attention but rarely do I have time, tools and energy to address very many of them. I am trying to cross a few of those things off the list while we are in one place. There are times that is seems overwhelming but then I say to myself, "At least I am not pastoring a church."

Of course if we owned a home it would always be needing something. Plus, I have worked on every truck and fifth wheel we have every owned too. So I suppose it all equals out. Things where out and break and have to be repaired or replaced. It is part of the cycle of life.

Thanks for reading and thanks again for praying for Odie.

Davy

More Good News and Good Tires

Odie's vision in her left eye continues to improve every day. We are so thankful for what God is doing. It is amazing. She says that everything is still very, very blurry but she is seeing more and more detail each and every day. She has had a big dark smudge in front of everything and she said today that was mostly gone. Praise God, Praise God, Praise God! Please keep praying that God will bring the vision back 100%.

We still do not have an appointment with a neurologist. We have decided to wait another week and then hit the road. If we leave and then they call her back we will deal with that but hopefully somebody can fit her in soon. Who knows? By the time they find an opening for her she may not need it! That is what we are expecting.

Since we are staying home another week, I called Pastor Brandon Murray in Lawton, Oklahoma and let him know we were not going to be able to start revival Sunday. I HATE to cancel revivals and have went to great lengths and drove many long miles to keep from having to do it in the past. I just could not see a way around it this time. Bro. Brandon was very understanding and gracious. I will do my best to make it up to him and Pastor King in Gainesville in the future.

We are planning to pick up the regularly scheduled programming with tent revival in Oklahoma City the following Sunday. I should know more about that next week by this time.

Today was another work day. I mentioned in this thread that I had a tire on the tag axle going bad. 

Wednesday was the day to take care of that. I run Michelin XZA2 tires on the BoggsMobile and I have had a hard time finding somebody that had them in stock when I was in the area. Best One Tire in Middletown had two with recent date codes so I made and appointment.

When they removed the tag tires I discovered the tire pictured above was the better of the two. The opposite tire had at least two 6-8" long cracks on the sidewall of the tire facing in. They were not as wide as the crack above but much longer and very close to the rim. It is the grace of God that I did not lose one or both of those tires in the last few weeks. Thank God for His help.

I had the new tires mounted on the tag wheels and then moved them to the front. I had the three year old front tires moved to the tag position.

A few hours later and I was on the road and ready to go. Here they are before I cleaned them up.

Now we should be ready to roll. Thank you for reading.

Davy