Something to encourage you!

I wanted to thank you for praying for my cousin's husband, Bob. He's a Colonel in the Air Force and had a sudden heart attack. Here is a letter from Pam, my cousin (Bob's wife). She gave me permission to share this with all those who had been praying for him. I think you all might be encouraged!

Hugs in Him,

--

Sandi Rog

***

Family and Friends,

Many of you have asked about Bob this week (thank you!)  I apologize for being slow in getting an update out to you; we're enjoying being together and at home!

I've spent much of this week reconstructing a timeline, via emails and such, for Bob, so that he can piece together the event that has reshaped our lives.

We remain deeply grateful for your prayers for Bob and the kids and I over the past several weeks.  We continue to process all that has happened and are simply in a place of amazement and wonder at the miracle God has worked in his rapid healing. 

Having said that, we are also settling into a 'new normal.'  Bob anticipates returning to work (on 'light duty') next week, in addition to several follow-up appointments.  The kids and I need to resume home schooling after 3 weeks without cracking a book (let's just say that the groans won't just be from the kids!)  We're wrestling with the loss of not going to Kenya and trusting God eventually reveal His timing and purpose in that.  In addition, we're adjusting to the fact that there is only one driver for our household for the next 6 months.  We also know that down the road (90 days or more) that there will be a Medical Evaluation Board to determine Bob's future with the Air Force.  With 16 years in the Air Force we are hoping that he will be able to remain in his present position as an active-duty Medical Service Corp officer until he retires.  The cardiologist states that due to his defibrillator he is not deployable.  (No complaints from me on that one!)  Time will tell and we're trusting God to do what's best for our family with the board.

Bob is growing stronger everyday and is able to do more for himself.  He doesn't seem to have any pain from his defibrillator surgery and seems to be healing nicely.  He's very quiet (nothing new there!) and is still trying to piece together all of the events leading to his hospitalization and his time in ICU.  I  look at him throughout the day and think that every breath he takes is a true gift from God.  I'm grateful to God for the promise given to me for Bob the morning his defibrillator was placed, "For by ME your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life."  Proverbs 9:11.  God truly is the one who numbers our days on earth. Ultimately our lives are in His hands.  "But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, 'You are my God.'  My times are in your hand..." Psalm 31:14-15a

The kids are doing fine, considering all that we have been through. I am so proud of them for being so strong and brave. Ethan finds it funny that "dad runs on batteries" (knowing that the batteries in Bob's defibrillator will need to be swapped out some 6-8 years down the road.)  Ethan has amazed me with a wisdom beyond his 10 years.  He knows that the defib is in place to start Bob's heart should it ever stop again, and yet he remarked about "Dad is not going to live forever....we're all going to die sometime."  What could I say to that?!   

We're incredibly grateful to the friends who cared for Ellie and Ethan in advance of my parents arriving, and deeply appreciative of my Mom and Dad stepping in and taking over the kids and the household, freeing me up to be with Bob at every opportunity.  What peace of mind that gave me.  Our Air Force family has been incredibly supportive; genuinely concerned for Bob and our family.  If I were to recount all the things, large and small, that our Air Force family has done for us- it would fill a book.  Most especially we are grateful for first responders.  You know who you are, and you'd say that you were just doing your job.......but we thank you from the core of our being that you were there, used as divinely appointed instruments in God's hands!  Our church and homeschool family have also rallied around us.....not to mention the prayers of countless family, friends, prayer chains around the globe.  How can we not say God is good?!

Speaking about goodness and God.....our church spent February memorizing Hosea 6:3, "So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.  His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth."   Henry and Richard Blackaby say "Knowing God through experience is radically different that knowing about God from a theology textbook.  According to the Bible, you cannot say you know God unless you have experienced Him (Phil. 3:8,10)."  Because of this event in our lives, I can say that I KNOW the Lord.  I don't just know about Him, but I know Him.  I have experienced Him.  I know Him to be good, even in the greatest trial of my life.  

I  KNOW God as Provider.  Whenever I needed something in those two weeks at the hospital - someone showed up.  Need to get Bob's car home?  Done.  Need a shoulder to cry on?  Done.  Need medical terms explained in plain English?  I've got that too.  Need your family here?  Done.  Need something to help you sleep?  I'm all over it.  Need food?  Got that too.  I AM your Provider. 

I KNOW God as Sustainer.  Running on adrenaline and fumes, God carried me through, by His strength.  Every morning and night, en route to the hospital, the truth of God's love in Hillsong United's Aftermath cd Sustained me.  Psalms sustained me. Friends and family sustained me.  God Sustained me.  I AM your Sustenance.

I KNOW God as Shepherd-Protector.  A Shepherd watches over His sheep, protecting them from harm.  The Good Shepherd watched over Bob, allowing this event to happen precisely when it did.  On base.  With immediate medical attention.  Bob was never alone, not for minute.  The Good Shepherd protected him. Bob was safe in God's hands and in the hands of those He appointed to care for him.  I AM your Shepherd-Protector.

I KNOW God as Peace and Immanuel (God with us).  Sheep can't lie down and rest unless they feel safe and secure.  Each night I could head home knowing that the same God who watched over me each night, was the same God who watched over Bob.  In that I found Peace and could rest secure, knowing God was with us both.  I AM Immanuel, God with you.  I AM your Peace. 

I KNOW God as my Rock.  When life fell apart, I ran the only place I knew to run to, to Someone stronger and more solid than I. He is immovable, constant, unchanging, and firm. I leaned on Him like never before.  I AM your Rock.

I KNOW God as Healer.  I witnessed a miracle unfold before me. It was like having front row tickets to the hottest show in town. Day after day,  we prayed for God to restore Bob to full health, based on the truth of Psalm 41:3 "The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health."  A friend could not get this verse out of her mind when learning of Bob's illness.  The Holy Spirit wouldn't let her rest until she shared that verse with me.  What hope that gave me!  Never have I prayed so intensely and fervently.  Nurses (and family!) were amazed at each subsequent test result as God healed Bob's mind, his lungs, his heart.  I AM Bob's Healer.

I KNOW God is Love.  Love comes in countless ways.  Love is an everyday hero performing CPR.  Love is a paramedic 'just doing his job.'  Love is a night nurse who wrote 'I love my job' in Bob's room.  Love is countless cards in the mail from perfect strangers.  Love is snacks, goodies and gifts from friends far and near, lavishing God's love on us!  Love is praying servicemen and women, praying friends, praying family members and fellow-believers.  Love sacrifices to spend all day in the waiting room.  Love is a phone call.  I AM Love.

As certain as the dawn tomorrow, I will press on to KNOW the Lord.  He is going to keep watering me, showering us, in our time of need. He is I AM. 

Let us press on to know Him!

~Pam

"God's Word is alive, active and powerful.  Prayers laced with the Word of God

not only bring about fundamental changes in people and situations, but such

prayers keep us in touch with God's priorities."  ~Joni

Thank you for praying Psalm 41:3 for Bob!  We are deeply grateful.

For Rita Gerlach, a fellow writer and friend

At last comes the novel readers have been waiting for. 

Book 1 in the long awaited 'Daughters of the Potomac Series' by author Rita Gerlach.

Readers will grow attached to heroine Eliza Morgan, as she faces the hardships of colonial life when she leaves behind all she has in order to follow her heart and the man she loves into the Maryland wilderness. 

On a windswept night in April of 1775, Eliza sat at her father’s bedside hoping he would recover. Forced to leave the home she grew up in, Eliza grows desperate. She could marry her former suitor, but cannot bear the thought of a loveless marriage.

Instead she falls in love with Hayward Morgan, the condescending son of a landed gentleman. When Eliza learns of his plans to leave England and build a life in the Maryland frontier, she decides to present a proposal of her own.

From critically acclaimed novelist, Rita Gerlach, comes book 1 in 'The Daughters of the Potomac Series', a timeless tale of love and betrayal, loss and redemption against the backdrop of the American Revolution.

“…a big, beautiful, well-told story of love, faith, and the struggles of war that changed lives...and  hearts.

                                    ~ Author Loree Lough ~

~ Read Chapter One for free ~

http://www.abingdonpress.com/forms/displayImage.aspx?pcid=2517746

Rita Gerlach is the author of four inspirational historical novels, including‘Surrender the Wind’, the American Christian Fiction Writers book of the month.

Inspirational Historical Romance

    On Sale: February 1, 2012

Available from online booksellers and at fine bookstores everywhere. Paperback and e-book.

Amazon.com   http://tinyurl.com/3o8hzbq    
ChristianBooks.com   http://tinyurl.com/3uoyxbw

Book 2 ~ Beside Two Rivers ~ Fall, 2013

(The story of Eliza's daughter, Darcy) 

Book 3 ~ Beyond the Valley ~ Spring 2013 

(Sarah, an indentured servant's story)

Official Website for Rita Gerlach:  http://ritagerlach.blogspot.com/

Contact: rpkg@comcast.net

I have not had the pleasure of reading this book yet, but after reading Chapter One, it's caught my interest! 

Giving Up

Someone recently asked me to share the most difficult thing in my life I had to overcome, with God’s help. I thought I'd share my answer. 

This last year I’ve been battling cancer. It’s been a rollercoaster ride with ups and downs, with trusting in God and doubting Him, with wanting to give up and wanting to fight. I’ve been an emotional mess.

After going through a stem cell transplant in May of 2011, then finding out in September that the cancer came back, and then going through radiation, I finally gave up.

Here’s what I mean. I had to give up two things: my children and my fight.

I have an idea of how Abraham and Hannah must have felt when they had to give up their children.

You see, my motivation to survive has been my children. Seeing their faces and knowing how much they need me made me fight that much harder. I wouldn’t let them go. But I finally had to realize that ultimately they’re not my children. They belong to God. Of course, I’ve always known that, but this time, I had to trust in that, trust in God to take care of them for me if it was His will for me to go home. So, mentally I had to literally hand each one of my children over to Him. I watched them in my mind, floating up to God and out of my hands and into God’s hands. That wasn’t easy, but once I did that, I knew they’d be fine because God would take care of them for me. After all, He loves them even more than I do!

Shortly after that (and radiation), I was exhausted and decided I was DONE. Done fighting, and just done. That’s when I prayed and told God I was finished fighting, and if He wanted me to survive on this earth, He was gonna have to do the fighting for me. When I let go of my fight against cancer, I can’t tell you how much relief I felt. The anxiety left. The fear diminished.

Everything was all in God’s hands, and what better hands could my children and my life be in?

I can’t say the fear was completely gone because I didn’t know what God wanted. Did He want to take me home, or did He want me to stay here longer? And if He wanted to take me home, would it be a slow and painful journey? So, I still had fear about those things.

Well, not long after that, I got a PET scan, which I scheduled to happen after Christmas (I didn’t want to ruin our Christmas with bad news; with all the pain I had in my back, we were sure it was covered in cancer).

I did the PET scan and two days later went in for the results. My sister came with me and my husband, and as we were in the waiting room, she shook out her hands and said her palms were sweating. She didn’t want to be there. Ha! I said, neither did I!

Anyway, I was finally called into the doctor’s office, and when the doc came in, she said they couldn’t find cancer anywhere in my body. The three of us just sat there in stunned disbelief. Before I could ask, she said the pain in my back was from a fractured rib due to the cancer and then the radiation. Then she pronounced me in remission!

Needless to say, we asked a lot of questions and left in shock. LOL I still have plans to go back to see my naturopathic doctor in AZ just to give this cancer one last major blast. Now we’re simply praying that it doesn’t come back.

So, that’s the most difficult thing I’ve had to face and overcome. Not necessarily overcoming “cancer,” but learning to let go and let God. And may God be praised  no matter what happens in this life.

THE MASTER'S WALL is FREE on Kindle!

This time it's for real! This friday and saturday THE MASTER'S WALL will be FREE on Kindle! Now is your chance to get it and tell your friends about it!

Here's the LINK.

Come one, come ALL!

SHE'S ALIVE!!!

Maybe that wasn't too funny for this blog since most of my posts recently have been about cancer. But I'm leaving the subject heading the way it is because I'm talking about my book WALKS ALONE! This is a historical romance that has gone live and is now available on Kindle! Wait a few weeks and it'll be available for the Nook as well!

I wrote this book eons ago (hmm, did I spell "eons" right? I don't have spell check) as my "practice novel." Anyway, it was supposed to be a "light" romance with all the fixings. But when I learned about the Cheyenne Native Americans, well things changed. It's not as "light" as I'd hoped, but it IS FUN! Why? Because I LOVE ROMANCE and I love these two characters!

And now you e-book owners can have a chance to fall in love with White Eagle and Anna too! BTW the paperback version will be available in June of this year!

Here's the awesome cover (front and back)! And if you click on it, it'll take you right to the Kindle version on Amazon. There you can read the book jacket copy and even take a peek inside! AND read the first amazing review I got!

Dance of the Dandelion

I'm excited to get back to my promoting days! Please welcome a fellow writer and friend Dina Sleiman! That's a picture of her on the left. Isn't she fun? Makes me want to run out into the water with her!


Here's what she says about herself:


I am a debut novelist and a published poet, but I am also much more. Most of the time you will find me reading, biking, dancing, or hanging out with my family, preferably at the beach. I love anything related to creativity. More importantly, though, I am a passionate follower of Christ who longs to serve him in all I do.


I'm excited to introduce you to Dina's debut novel DANCE OF THE DANDELION. If you like medieval Christian fiction, this is the book for you! There aren't very many medieval's out there, so it's nice that WhiteFire Publishing opened up their doors! 

Here's a bit about DANCE OF THE DANDELION


Love's quest leads her the world over.
Dandelion Dering was born a peasant in the English village of Arun, but her soul yearned for another life, another world. One filled with color and music, with adventure and passion . . . with more.
Haunted by childhood memories, Dandelion determines to find a better existence than the life every peasant in the village contents themselves with. Even if her sweetheart William s predictions prove true, and her journey leads straight to heartache.
From her sleepy hamlet to the intrigue of castle life, from the heart of London to the adventurous seas, Dandelion flees from the mistakes of her past, always seeking that something, that someone who will satisfy her longings.
Will Dandelion ever find the rhythm to her life's dance . . . or did she leave her chance for true love at home in Arun village?


Because I haven't had the pleasure yet of reading Dina's lovely novel (been a bit distracted with fighting cancer), I'll include a review here below.


Review by Michelle Sutton, author of over a dozen inspirational novels

 Best Medieval fiction I have ever read, and a favorite this year!

I have finally found the perfect novel. Seriously! This is the best book I have read in a very long time and I've read over 200 books in the last two years. 

In the acknowledgements at the end of the book the author credits Donald Maas for teaching her how to develop at decent plot into a stellar one. She far exceeded stellar and I dare say this book for me was more of a mindblowing romance and spiritual love story similar to Redeeming Love, a best-selling novel by Francine Rivers. Over the years I have read a ton of books set during this time period and none of them came close to being as exhilarating for me as this one. It not only inspired me, but reading this novel was downright addicting. I had to have my fix daily until I finished the book. When I reached the end I felt and ovewhelming sense of satisfaction at having experience the highs and lows of Dandelion's journey as well as bonding so closely to the characters that I felt as if I had also experienced the same boundless joy by the end of the book. The resolution was stellar, and beyond satisfying. 

I can't say enough good things about this book. I feel like my words will be inadequate, but I'll try to explain why this book will forever remain in my heart as a favorite read right up there with Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. For one thing, the author had so many insights into not only the physical and emotional realm of Dandelion's existence, but she nailed her spiritual journey as well. We have all asked ourselves the same questions and have at times felt the same longing for more than we have. We have all sought that joy that can only come from knowing God. The Bible says if you seek God with your whole heart (like Dandelion did) you will find Him. Unfortunately many of us trip and fall many times along the way. Some of us make terrible choices with devastating consequences and others make better ones, but we all make choices every day. We are all capable of being led astray, and often childhood pain drives our desire for whatever it is we seek. This story showed that in a way that made sense, and it was so well-written. The prose was beautiful and sigh-worthy, for sure. 

For me the most emotional and touching part of the story had to do with Dandelion's fear of her own passion. God made her that way and she knew that deep inside. When she tried to squelch it, the effect never lasted. She longed for love and a better life, but her passion was misdirected so many times. She thought maybe choosing someone who was stable and secure was what she needed to control that passion that frightened her so many times, but that didn't work. Often women are drawn to men who have self-serving and selfish desires because they are so charming and passionate as well, but not in a way that shows love. That initial bond quickly shatters when the true colors of the person doing the abusing comes out and then the woman is trapped. Dandelion was strong in so many ways, but at the same time she was so very human. I loved her dearly as if she were a real person. Dance of the Dandelion inspired me in a place deep inside my heart that books rarely touch. I highly recommend this story for anyone who has looked for love and satisfaction in the wrong places and thus made poor choices in this life. The book illustrates through well-written characterization how you can experience the freedom to worship God with passion and fulfill that desire to know Him more. That's what Dandelion's story did for me.


Here's where you can find Dina's book!

http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Dandelion-Dina-L-Sleiman/dp/0983455600/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

A letter written by my hubby from all of us

Dear friends –

We have been anxious to let you know what God has accomplished through you. We have often stood with tears in our eyes from the outpouring of love: your prayers, expressions of concern, listening ears, meals, visits, cleaning, rides to and from the hospital, babysitting, picking up kids from school, radon remediation, fundraisers, movie tickets, replacing car engine, Christmas presents, and more. When traditional treatments seemed to have failed, you made it possible for Sandi to seek alternative treatment, which we believe has been effective and has helped her grow stronger.

Last week Wednesday, December 28, 2011, we received PET scan results showing the tumors in Sandi’s back are in remission. And no new tumors are visible. We are very happy with this news! At the same time we are cautiously optimistic, because we know this is no guaranty that the cancer is gone. One of the sites still light up, believed to be due to inflammation related to a fractured rib as a result of weakening of the bone. But this too is circumstantially good news, as it explains that Sandi’s pain is not due to new cancer activity. We continue to support Sandi’s health with God’s good nutrition and it looks like she will be able to go down to Phoenix for one more round of treatments by her naturopathic doctor.

It has not been easy to accept help and support. We didn’t want to be a burden, we didn’t want to feel indebted, we felt others would be a better purpose for your support. But people insisted on helping: family, the church, even brothers and sisters in the Netherlands and Belgium, Karsten’s colleagues, people from Sandi’s writing community, and many individuals throughout the world. All have shown us understanding, love, and care beyond anything we could have imagined. Through you we have seen God’s understanding, love and care.

We want you to know that you have carried us through these difficult times and that we recognize God’s goodness in you. Never before in our lives have we seen God in action like this. But the greatest good that has been accomplished in all of this is that we have grown closer to God and have grown closer to one another.

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and support.

The Rogs