Another Year....

Today would have been Mom and Dad's 46th wedding anniversary. They always had a special love for each other, one we can all look up to and learn from. If they fought or argued, we never saw it or heard it. All we saw was the love they shared between them.

After Mom died we watched my Dad grow weaker and really start to give up. He lost his smile and his reason for being the day she died. Until he met Cassie. Dad is now married to her, another very special lady, one who will never let us forget how much my Mom meant to my Dad, and to all of us.

Every year on my Mom and Dad's anniversary I think about something that my step-Mom said to me shortly before she married my Dad... "your Mom has made your Dad the man he is today, and for that she will ALWAYS be a part of our life." I believe that my step-mom is a gift from our Angel, my Mom, on special days like this.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad, and thank you, Mom, for giving Dad someone to watch over him here on earth while you are in Heaven waiting for us all.

Who, Me?

As I look back over the last 10 months of our journey to Arizona, there was one resounding statement that I said to God over and over....  "Who, me?!?".  The day that Michael and I went and met with John and Laurie on their couch to talk about joining them in this mission I even said "we are the last people you probably ever though would be sitting on your couch talking about this".  I followed that up with asking them if they felt like we weren't "right for the job" if they would tell us.  John's reply was one that I have had to remind myself over and over again...  GOD put this team together, not John and Laurie.  For whatever reason that is yet to be revealed, God wanted us here.

But now that we're here I still have that doubt in the back of my mind.  How can a midwest girl who really didn't grow up in a church other than holidays and attending VBS to get out of Mom's hair in the summertime do this big job that's before us?  I'm still early on in my own journey with Christ and don't feel equipped, or dare I say comfortable, to lead others to Christ.  I read the Bible daily, multiple times a day usually, but I don't have Bible verses memorized to pull out of my head when someone really needs it.  I still use a topical Bible 50% of the time when I'm looking for something specific to help me through a day, or to send to a friend who needs encouraging word.  I'm the first to type out and say a prayer for others, but often when I pray with them 1 on 1 my words get jumbled and what comes out of my mouth isn't really what I am trying to say.  I've been immersed in a new state with people I don't know.  While I'm typically a pretty social person, getting to know people puts me on pins and needles.  I would rather someone introduce me to others and go from there than me introduce myself. 

But God chose me to be part of this team to build relationships and share the love of Jesus with the people in Arizona! 

This morning, as I was getting ready to go to John and Laurie's for our Riverview Church study on building community in Christ I was thinking about all of all of the things I've just mentioned.  I came downstairs, fixed my no carb no sugar omelet (that's a whole other blog post yet to come later), and sat down with my Bible some morning reading and opened it randomly and this is where it led me:

"Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." 
2 Corinthians 3:4-5

A gentle morning reminder that I don't have to be a scholar who knows the Bible forwards and backwards.  I don't have to be outgoing and introduce myself to every person I meet.  I don't have to say the most eloquent prayer ever.  God has me here because he wants me here and all of those things that I think I'm lacking, he has figured out too.  My confidence is in and from Christ!

Are you in a situation where you feel you aren't "good enough" to be used?  Whether it be work, family, friends, church situations, or otherwise?  Start your days in prayer, seeking the confidence that only comes from God and let him lead you where he wants you.  I promise you...  it will be an exciting adventure!

God Brings Things FULL Circle!

Just over 2 years ago I wrote a blog post titled "Watching God Step In" after an appointment at Duke Medical Center with Kayleigh.  It was our very first appointment with a cardiologist and we didn't know what to expect, but we went in praying that something would happen to finally figure out what was wrong with our daughter.  What a day that was.  I won't rewrite the whole post, you can read it yourself, but I will say it all started with a very young doctor who was just a "fellow" at the time, learning the ropes of pediatric cardiology who recognized something was very wrong and managed to get her seen by echo that day, have a stress test, and see a special cardiologist.  This all led to her finally being diagnosed and got us on the road to her recovery.  That fellows name...  Dr. McCanta.

Over the last year and a half, Kayleigh has continued to improve every day.  She is stronger, eating better, gaining weight, running daily, and happier than we've ever seen her.  She continued to go to Duke for follow up after the "big scare" in the summer of 2011, and continues to just wow us all.  When we decided to move to Arizona she decided it was time to move out on her own...  and move to Colorado!  I have been worried about her, but her Daddy said she's doing fine, getting better, let her go.....".  So....  we did.  GULP!

Last week we traveled to Colorado to get her care established with a new cardiologist at Denver Children's Hospital and Pediatric Cardiology.  In the days before the appointment I started to worry (yeahhhh I know....  I gotta stop that!).  The biggest concern we had for her health was that she was feeling strong heart palpitations when she would be at work, on her feet, active, etc.  Normal for most of us, but for someone like her...  when it gets worse and stronger it can be worrisome.   And you know how some new doctors are....  they want to do their own thing, switch meds around, change doses, etc. etc. etc. and for the most part she was doing well so we didn't want any of that touched.  We just figured her meds needed "tweeked" a bit b/c she's gained weight and went to such a high altitude. 

Well imagine the relief we had when the doctor who walked in the room was THE Dr. McCanta from Duke Medical Center (on the opposite side of the country!!!)....  2 years prior!  THAT is absolutely God reassuring us that all was going to be JUST fine!  The appointment was LONG.   No....  the appointment was EXCRUCIATINGLY LONG!  But the outcome....  was nothing short of a miracle!

They explained to us that the stronger heart palpitations she was feeling is because her blood pressures and pulses are pretty much NORMAL without medication, indicating the muscles in the left ventricle of her heart are actually getting STRONGER.  This, my friends, is awesome news!  So what's happening is her heart is beating well on it's own, plus she's taking medication to help it along still, and then when she's active her heart is actually beating TOO strongly...  thus more palpitations!

So, the plan from here is that she will start a 30 day constant heart monitor that's attached to a cell phone type device constantly communicating with her cardiologist office for them to see/read at all times.  She can hit a button on it when she feels "funny" and they will be notified immediately and able to read it remotely.  (So cool!).  At the end of the 30 days (which isn't going to start until the week of July 20th), if all looks good, they will start to wean her off some of her heart medications!!!  Dr. McCanta did explain that that this is not an overnight thing.  He will do it one pill one dose at a time and the plan is to get her off all, or as many as possible, over about an 18 month to 2 year time frame. 

We are more than elated at the news we received and are so very thankful for ALL of the people who have prayed with us over the last several years through her illness, who brought us meals, who wiped our tears, who held our hands, who led us to stay steadfast, who helped us remain faithful in God's plan.  And here we are nearing what we pray will be the end of this long road for her with God bringing it full circle...  to that young fellow cardiologist who recognized the rare disease that had been taking Kayleigh's life away so that we can personally say thank you to him at the end of this road! 

One Year Ago Today....

One year ago today, right about 8pm Eastern Standard time on May 30, 2012 our world was turned upside down.  Michael became unresponsive for a period of time and it led to lots of doctors, MRIs, CT scans, labwork, and finally....  a diagnosis that meant he needed a risky brain surgery that may or may not help and may leave him having a massive stroke...  or worse yet...  take his life. 

Michael was scared, angry, and at times in denial that any of it was happening.  And me?  I was crushed and even broken at times when I saw the anger in him come out.  My husband was diagnosed with an illness that I had only seen once in my career as a therapist and it was NOT a positive outcome. 

But God knew what would happen....

Michael turned to prayer.

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)  Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and leanr from em, for I am gentle and humbe in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 

He came face with Jesus like never before. For the first time in his life, really relied on and had faith in Jesus to handle all the details.  And me, I had to say "OK God.  I am giving You my husband and I am trusting You with him, and with me if You decide to take him Home." 

This began the hardest year of our marriage, but at the same time, the most amazing year of our marriage because we grew in both faith and love like never before and everyone around us could see it.

1 Peter 4:13 (ESV)  But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

God used Michael's illness and our story "to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him" (2 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)) as he began to share his story and revealed that we would be moving to Arizona because to bring Jesus to people that desperately needed Him.  To God be the praise for hearts that are changing through our story and Michael's illness! 

Matthew 6:34 (NIV) Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Michael is not in the clear, he never really will be.  There is no cure for what he has.  But, none of us are ever really in the clear, are we?  But, we are choosing not to worry, but to have faith in Him.  We will all experience illness, heartache, sadness, and even death here on this earth. But He is always there when we call out to Him. 

We are grateful we have today! 

We are thankful that God has used Michael's illness to get us where we are.  We are thankful for an AMAZING neurosurgeon who, with guided hands by the Great Physician, performed a successful surgery.  We are thankful for the team of nurses that cared for him in the weeks following his surgery.  We are thankful to friends and family for hours of talking things out and helping us through the toughest of hours. 

And most of all...  we are VERY thankful for the Church...  the PEOPLE that came, cared, loved, prayed, lived, and experienced all of the emotions with us.  Some of those people didn't even know us personally, but showed us what Christ's love is all about! 

Do I want to relive what started one year ago today?  Not at all!  But I wouldn't change one part of what did happen because it brought us to right where we are today!!

Settling in to Life in Arizona!

Mike and the kids arrived safely in Arizona on the 26th of March, 30 days after I got here.  The first week was spent sleeping on air mattresses and sitting on camping chairs, while we waited for our moving truck; but we survived it all.  Easter Sunday was a great day of friends and fellowship followed by a family hike about half way up a nearby mountain.  It's been so great to be all back together again and we seem to be finding our routine.

Mike got Paige registered for school last Thursday and she had the option of waiting until Monday to start, but the social butterfly in her was eager to get started right away!  So, Friday it was!  My original plan was to take her the first day, but she insisted on riding the bus...  then she wouldn't even let me walk her to the bus stop!  She came home from school and was immediately immersed in neighborhood friends outside, too busy to even share her day with us!  Today completed her first full week and her report from the teacher was fantastic! 

Chase just finished his first full week of homeschooling and we seem to be finding a routine with it.  Mike has given him some lengthy things to do, and he hasn't complained once.  He prefers to get up in the morning and get right to it, too!  He has even been reading - on his own - each day!  For those of you who know Chase well...  this is awesome news!

Also, in regards to Chase, we met his new pediatrician Wednesday afternoon and really liked him.  He read through all of Chase's reports and labs and did a thorough exam, spending over an hour in the room letting us ask all of our questions and he asked his.  In the end, because Chase does seem to be showing some improvement, we have decided to hold off on Rheumatology for now and see how Chase does.  They seem pretty certain that Chase had a bad case of  "Mesenteric Adenitis".  Basically, a nasty virus that attacks the mesenteric lining of the abdomin causing the lymph nodes to swell so much that it causes abdomonial pain and it can sometimes take a few months to recover.  So, as long as Chase continues to improve, this is likely the cause of his extended illness.  Praise God for good news!!

Mike has had 3 interviews in 4 days with the same theater company for an Assistant Manager position.  Mike went into it very honest with them about why we were here and told them up front that he won't work Sundays and he'd need one specific night off each week for small groups.  They were very agreeable to it all and seemed to like him.  We should know by late next week if he landed the job.  He's eager to get into a routine so that he can set some at home "office" hours to dedicate to Riverview Church and working on some local mission stuff.  And honestly, I think being at home all day is starting to drive him a bit batty and it's only been 2 weeks!  LOL!

I am LOVING my new job at Sante of Surprise with Infinity Rehab!  I wasn't sure how I felt about stepping down into a staff therapist position and giving up the reigns of being a director.  But, it has been so great and I get to come home to my family and not even worry about work!  Sante is a different kind of rehab too...  it's a culture change type of therapy.  The patients are called "guests" and they have so many choices and have a huge role in their daily care.  Right down to eating in the Bistro or restaurant whenever they want.  They go in alone or with friends/family, sit at a table, a server takes their order, etc. etc. etc.  Really makes them feel like people and not just a patient.

We miss Devin and Kayleigh like crazy, but we know that they are happy and doing well.  Kayleigh is settling in to her apartment in Colorado and started back to work this week.  She and Justin are hoping to be here in mid-May for a quick visit and to get the rest of her stuff that Mike brought here to Arizona.  Devin was transferred to Eglin Air Force Base in mid March and loves being near Destin Beach!  We hope to see him around the July 4th holiday. 

A huge thank you to everyone who has prayed for our family and supported us through this entire process!  With all the spiritual warfare that tried to attack from the minute we made this decision to us physically landing in Arizona; I am certain that God has big things planned and we are ready to do whatever it is He has planned for us!

My Story...

The last week I was in Winston I was asked to share "my story" not once, but twice.  I never really thought about it until I received the email asking if I was comfortable doing so.  I almost replied "no thank you", but at the same time I knew that this is part of why we moved to Phoenix and my story is what would help me connect to the people here who need Jesus in their lives.

I didn't grow up in a church.  My Mom would take us some Christmases and Easters, and she would enroll us in the town's Vacation Bible School, but there wasn't any carryover at home and we never really talked about it.  Don't get me wrong, I had GREAT parents who sacrificed so much just for us girls.  It just didn't involve church. 

When I was a "tween" is when I first started to realize that some other families went to church every Sunday.  I grew up in a very Catholic community and most of the kids I went to school with were going to CCD after school on Wednesdays and prepping for their Confirmations.  I was curious and I'd say that during my tween years is when I first started to have a longing to see what it was all about. 

My parents had friends who attended another church and we grew up with their kids, Michelle and BJ.  I would often try to manipulate my way into staying the night with them so that I could go to their church with them on Sunday mornings.  I loved singing the songs and would pray along with my eyes tightly closed that we could come every week, can't say that I understood much of the preaching.  As we got into early high school we stopped spending as much time with them because we were all busy with different events...  band concerts, choir concerts, sporting events, and more!

Probably through most of my freshman and sophomore year I didn't think much about church.  I kept super busy with school things and it didn't leave much time.  Then I met Mike between my sophomore and junior year...

Mike's entire family is Catholic.  Mike was very involved in not only the Catholic church serving on Sundays and at church events, but he was also involved in the local youth group through the Nazarene church.  Again, I started to feel very intrigued and a longing to see what it was all about.  I started attending church with him probably my senior year when our relationship started to really grow.  After we graduated Mike started lectoring and greeting at church on Sundays and I was right by his side most weeks.  As he would drive me home I would ask him probably 50 questions about what the sermon covered!

We were engaged in November of 1990 and got married in November of 1991.  I decided that if we were going to be married and he was that involved in the church, even though I still had lots of questions, it was time for me to join the church.  So, at Easter time of 1993 I officially joined the church and our first child, Devin was born just a few months later; Kayleigh followed the following summer of 1994 and all seemed to be well.  We continued to attend each and every week and Mike continued to lector frequently.  But it seemed more like a Sunday morning routine than a relationship with God. 

We moved to Indiana University for college in 1996.  Right after getting there we sought out a Catholic church.  We went to two different ones....  but they weren't the same as our small little hometown church.  They were huge and no one seemed to be there for the right reasons.  We eventually stopped going because it drove Mike and I crazy.  I would continue to read Bible stories to the kids and we'd pray on and off at meal time; I'd continue to have a yearing to be somewhere on Sunday mornings, but we werent' doing anything about it. 

We moved home in January of 2001 after learning that my Mom's cancer was spreading and Mike's seizures started becoming a dialy occurence.  I would pray almost daily but Mike wasn't really too interested.  He had become angry and bitter with God about various things that had happened.  We went to Evansville, Indiana to visit friends over Easter in 2002 and on the way home from their house one of our kids said "so...  what is Lent anyway?  And who is the man they talk about dying on the cross?".  OUCH!  After that, Mike committed that even if HE wasn't interested in church, our kids needed to know what church was all about. 

We had a hard time getting going to a church that year because I was put on bedrest early on during my pregnancy and my Mom was very sick.  In November of 2002 Paige was born 9 weeks prematurely and then in April we lost my Mom to cancer.  Shortly after that, a friend in our neighborhood told us about Sonrise at Aboite.  We decided to give it a try.  The first Sunday I went I felt like I learned more in that hour about God's love for me than I ever had before!  And that longing that I had felt on and off for years had coming FLOODING back like never before.  We attended Sonrise every week and every week our kids were loving it, I was loving it, and I felt like I was growing.  It was probably the first time in my life where I truly understood that Jesus died on a cross to pay for my sins, to set me free. 

We moved to North Carolina in May of 2006 and started seeking a church right away.  We first attended River Oaks in the early summer, and we only attended once.  I don't remember what was said specifically, but the pastor said something that turned Mike off pretty quickly.  After that we visited a few other churches, but really had a hard time connecting anywhere. 

Our world changed in February of 2007 when Mike lost his Grandpa Molitor.  When we were home for Grandpa's funeral I watched from a few rows back as Mike cried genuine tears in the front row.  My heart broke!  On our way home Mike said he realized sitting at his grandfather's funeral, that we needed to get back to church, even if that meant it was the Catholic church.  The next week we went to Holy Family Catholic Church and shortly after decided to enroll our kids in the Faith Formation classes to "catch them up" on First Communion and Confirmations.  We DRUG Devin kicking and screaming every week and decided not to have him go through with the courses.  But Kayleigh and Chase both did.  I jumped in to teaching one of the CCD Classes and all seemed to be well.  We quickly fell back into the "routine" of it all.

In the spring of 2008 our entire family came to celebrate Kayleigh and Chase receivin their first Holy Sacraments through the Catholic church.  After our families left we were sitting at the dining room table for dinner and one of them - I honestly don't remember which one - said "so what was the big deal about Communion?".   Mike and I again looked at eachother and quickly realized we had really messed up!  We asked the kids, all of them, what they wanted.  Their response took us by surprise.... not ONE of them wanted to go to the Catholic church.....  and they all said River Oaks (the church that Mike walked out of the first summer in NC!). 

A few weeks later we were on our way to Holy Family one Sunday when we decided to attend River Oaks instead.  Our kids were so excited!  And again, like Sonrise, I left there that day feeling like I had really LEARNED something  about the Bible and I couldn't wait to go back week after week.  I began serving in the children's ministry and then in the youth, loving the time with the kids and learning more and more every week about the love of Jesus and what community meant. 

Many people can say they know the exact date they gave their life to Christ.  For me, I can't say that.  It was more of a gradual process.  God was chasing after me from the time I was a little girl.  Letting me know that He was there when I truly looked for him.  The first seeds were planted many years ago at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Paulding with the Beiswenger family.  Those seeds continued to be nurtured at the Catholic churches we attended and then at Sonrise.  Somewhere in the first two years at River Oaks, they took off and before I knew it I was planting seeds in others lives, experiencing what true community was during some of the hardest days of my life, and then was just on fire to share the love of Jesus with people around me! 

The cool thing about my story is how it plays into Mike's story....  he'll have to write his out himself.  But, I will say I prayed week after week on Sundays as Pastor Beaty said his closing prayer, with my hand on Mike's knee, that God would pierce his heart.  That God would take a hold of Mike and show him that he is loved and that He had a plan for Mike.  After several years of prayng, God has gotten a hold of Mike in a way I NEVER could have imagined.  That fire inside of Mike has led us to Phoenix and I cannot wait to see how we grow together in our marriage, and in our faith as we share our story of persevereance and faith with others!

That, my friends...  is my story!  And it's only just beginning!!

"That's Awful Brave of You"

This is something that's been on my mind every since our meeting with the Arizona team on Sunday because it's something that has happened to all of us ...  so please bear with me as I get my thoughts down.

When we started telling people we were moving and WHY we were moving, we got all kind of responses.  Many of the others in our group got them too...  Here's a few of my "favorites":

- WHY would you want to do that?
- What if the church flops?  (yep...  someone said that!)
- What about a job for Mike, he can't JUST do church and mission work?
- What will we do without you here?
- What about your family here?
- MIKE'S gonna do that?

and my personal favorite that came to me just today.... 

- That's awful "brave" of you!

Not many have said "That's awesome and I'm so excited to see what's ahead of you!". 

Now, don't get me wrong.  I know that everyone who has said the above really do mean well and in no way are trying to be mean.  In their minds, it just doesn't seem "sensible" to pack up and move across the country for the reason we are going, to help start a church.  It just opens my eyes to the fact that acting on 100% faith is something that not many people do and that makes me a bit sad.

So, in response to those of you who have asked the questions like why, or commented on how "brave" it is would start simply with this:  Because the Bible and the Lord call us to follow Him and trust in Him in ALL things!   1 Corinthians 11:1 He commands us "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.".   

Michael very strongly felt this pull that he was being called to follow the Williams and share the word of Jesus with others through his story.  To give encouragement to others.  To show others the love of Jesus and how it can pull someone from the darkest of places to a life of salvation when they just surrender all to the Lord. 

Have we ever done this before?  Nope... 
Are we nervous?  A little maybe. 

But in Matthew 4:19 we are assured that He will guide us in this.  It says "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men".  Proverbs 3:6 goes further and says "in ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight".  All we need to do is follow the calling and the Lord will lay out the rest, he will direct our path.  The Lord will give us the words to speak to those that need to hear it.  How?  That part doesn't matter to us.  We have faith that He will.  He CAN do "immeasurably MORE than all we could ask or imagine, accoridng to His power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20). 

The other piece of this is when we considered the alternative...  what choice do we even have?    Afterall..  aren't we warned in Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter hte kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."?  Not sure about you...  but this places in me a bit of fear that says "I'm asking you to follow me, to serve others, to share my Word... and if you don't do it with 100% of your heart and soul.... " well.....  you get the picture. 

We've been doing a Chan study with our core team where he uses this analogy that I LOVED and really made it a clear picture.  If you tell your child to go clean their room, do they go in their room for a while and come back out saying "Dad.....  I MEMORIZED what you said to me"!  Or better yet, "I know you SAID to clean my room, but I am so busy with friends, and school, and baseball that I just don't have time, and I'm sure someone else can do it since I'm so busy".  Ummmmm...  Not sure about you...  but I'm not ABOUT to tell the Lord Himself at my time of judgement "Father God, I know your Word said to serve others and love others with your heart and soul, but I was so busy with work and driving my kids around to events, that I just didn't have time, and besides, there was another family in our church that did most of that so I didn't have to."

We are doing something that we have never ever done before in our lives and the closer the move gets to us the more "persecuted" we feel.  Satan is digging in where he knows we are the weakest, but we are not letting go of the promise that God has given us, that He is preparing a place for us in the Heavens. 

Wouldn't this world look much different if we all did this?

Beer, Babes and Bacon - by Michael

This is long... but I guarantee it's worth it! God is so good!

So, earlier this year this blog page sat dormant for four months from mid-January through mid-May. At that point, I informed darling Missy that I was going to hijack the blog and dedicate it to The Three B’s: Beer, Babes and Bacon. The fear of that seemed to light a fire under her and she promptly resumed her blogging activity. I don’t believe that I’ve hijacked the page since IU hired Coach Crean, but here I am today to entertain the masses. For those turned off by the idea of a Three B’s blog, never fear, that is not my purpose today (yes, men, I did just hear that collective groan of disappointment). No, today I am here to tell you the story of a lost individual’s personal revelation, salvation and prologue to what will certainly prove to be an incredible journey. Before I begin, I would like to apologize to those of you reading this who previously knew me as a reasonably talented writer. You’ve heard the saying “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it”? Well, I have not written anything productive other than work memos in years, so I extend my apologies in advance for my loss of grammar and creative skills.

If you are anything like me, books, movies or TV episodes that begin at the ending irritate you immensely (Memento excluded). That said, I live to irritate so here is the ending of this prologue: The Lyons family will be relocating to the NW Phoenix, Arizona area this spring to assist in the planting of a new church in a region that is in desperate need of it. This is a move based solely on faith and the Lord’s guidance. To believe that my wife would do things based on that premise would not necessarily surprise people, but to know that this great endeavor has all originated and processed through what had been my relatively cold and predominantly faithless heart is the true miracle that has shocked many.

For practical purposes, we’ll begin this with what seemed like a nice, little, innocuous announcement during a River Oaks Community Church service in early to mid-May. I don’t really remember anything about the service other than they opened with an announcement that John and Laurie Williams would be relocating to Phoenix, AZ to plant a new church. Our church charter calls for the planting of new churches and it was well past time for us to do this for the first time. The complication that arose was that our area, heck, our region really had no need for another church. That led John to extensive research on the most unchurched areas of the country. Through his research the Phoenix area was the best fit as one of the top ten most unchurched areas and matching up with his pastoral approach best. To this point, I had only been attending church so that my children would not grow up ignorant to the Christian doctrine and to make Michelle happy. The truth of the matter is that I had been pretty close to being agnostic since September 3, 2003. That is the day that Shelly Litzenberg, a lifelong friend, died well before anyone was ready to let her go. After her funeral, I essentially threw in the towel on God. I still believed in him, I just did not believe that he cared what went on here on earth. From my perspective we were merely goldfish in a huge aquarium and when we died God just flushed us and got a replacement.

On May 30, Paige approached me for our nightly routine before her bedtime. I had not felt well all day, and as I leaned forward to start the routine I apparently froze in place for minutes murmuring incoherently and doing nothing but rotating my thumbs over my fingers. When I came out of it, I could not remember anything from the previous period and everyone was just a tad freaked out over it. Prior to this I had been experiencing an increase in both occurrences and intensity of headaches for several months. This led to nearly a month of intense testing by several doctors and specialists. At first they thought that I had been experiencing mild strokes, but once that was ruled out I became the patient in an episode of “House” as they just kept throwing ideas out there, testing and then ruling them out. Finally, on June 21 we got the results from a full body MRI that focused on the spine, cerebral spinal fluid and brain. I had a mild Chiari Malformation (my brain was recessing outside my skull and sharing space with the spinal column) and Syringomyelia (a buildup of spinal fluid between the T2 and T10 vertebrae). For further information on these you can reference posts on this blog from June 28 through July. The Chiari issue was labeled as very borderline as it was only 3mm in size at that time, but the Syringomyelia was troublesome. I had to decide whether to have a rather risky surgery that may or may not relieve my issues or just continue to live with my situation.



My condition had been getting progressively worse leading up to that June 21 date. Kayleigh graduated and I barely remember it. I know that I spent most of the party sitting in the corner of the back deck in a daze with people occasionally coming out to see me. It was obvious that I was not doing well, and I felt like I was taking away from Kayleigh’s day because much of the focus turned toward me. I remember many people mentioning that they were praying for me. It was nice to hear, but I had never been a believer that prayer actually accomplished anything. I would recite empty Our Father’s and Hail Mary’s, but I don’t think that I had actually given thanks to God for anything or requested anything of Him since Michelle almost died while giving birth to Chase. After hearing that these people were focusing prayer on me, I decided that I might give it a try. I mean these were all well-meaning Christians who had been there for my family through the nearly disastrous year that Kayleigh had in 2011 when she was hospitalized for two prolonged periods while struggling with her newly diagnosed Dysautonomia and then later a collapsed lung. They had spent serious time in prayer about, with and over her. They had taken care of our family by providing meals, taking care of Chase and Paige and through prayer. I had brushed off the prayer at that point, but the true love that they had shown my family stuck with me. After days of what I felt were failed days of prayer, I finally decided that I would ask for my friends and the church community’s help through prayer. On June 27, I asked my bible study group to pray for guidance for me in deciding whether or not to have the surgery. On June 28, I asked my friends in the Facebook community the same (knowing that many of them would pass it along to countless others in their circles). On June 29, I received my answer. I woke up that morning with my symptoms having increased exponentially. A couple of days later they had me in for another full body MRI and discovered that the Chiari had grown to 7mm and the backup of spinal fluid had gotten much worse. Foolishly, I put the surgery off until August 1 so that I would not leave work stranded during our busiest period of the year. I must say that overall it was probably the worst month of my life, but several incredible things happened. I started to embrace prayer, to read my bible, to let people get close to me. I had spent years avoiding these things. Oh, and one other little thing happened…I had a dream. At the time, it was a seemingly silly dream. As a matter of fact, it was a dream that made Michelle laugh rather heartily when I told her. I dreamt that my family moved to Arizona with the Williams’ to assist in their church plant.



In late July, three incredible men from church asked if they could come over pray with me. To say that I was uncomfortable would be a mammoth understatement. I was new to this prayer thing and they not only wanted to come pray with me, but they wanted to place their hands on me and pray. Anybody who knows me knows this is not something I would ever have allowed before. These three incredible men placed their hands on my shoulders and head (while I admittedly cringed) and said beautiful heart-felt prayers for my surgery to go well, for my recovery to be quick and outstanding, for peace in not only my heart but that of my family and all my loved ones, and for me to grow to understand why He loves me. I cannot possibly explain the impact that this experience had on me. It is simply beyond words. This was followed by a visit from an incredible friend who came all the way down from Indiana to see me and pray with me. His wife would come down a few days later to stay with Michelle during the surgery and to pray with both of us. This is important because this outstanding couple had literally spent years attempting to engage me with the Lord, only to be rebuffed by me at every turn. It felt awesome to finally accept the gift of their prayers, and that use of awesome is in its true meaning, not the Dean Winchester overused American model of the term…it was truly awe-inspiring.


August 1^st finally came along, and the surgery went extremely well. By the time the surgery was performed, my Chiari had grown to 10mm, which the surgeon said is simply unprecedented and unexplainable. I’m thinking that I might want to be a little more careful with how I word my prayers from now on…asking for a sign that I simply cannot ignore may not have been the best way to phrase it, but I guess that’s what I needed. They encountered a few things along the way that prolonged it enough to make Michelle nervous, but in the end they removed a section of my skull, installed a comfy little “hammock” for my brain to rest in, spread some muscle and tissue to allow fluid to run more smoothly, took out a vertebrae and by the grace of God and the hands of an incredible surgeon I’m still here and feeling better than I have in years.



Throughout my six week recovery period my family and I received almost daily visits and meals from both friends and people that we did not even know from the church. During the recovery several friends took turns taking care of both Chase and Paige for both their sake and mine…the early recovery period was not a pretty thing to observe. These were acts of love that I cannot imagine ever being able to properly repay. An incredible collection of “senseless, brutal acts of kindness” (yes, Small Rebellions by Jars of Clay has become my favorite song) were gifted to us once again, just as they had been when Kayleigh was struggling with her illnesses. Suddenly, I understood what the true purpose of church was. My ill-conceived notion that it was simply a place to go and praise God for an hour each Sunday was so flawed. It wasn’t about that hour every Sunday. That is a part of it, but I came to realize that the true meaning is about the community of God and what you do in between those Sunday meetings. The quiet personal time that you spend with Him, the “senseless, brutal acts of kindness” that you do in His name, the witness that you provide for others, and the growth that you pursue by meeting with others throughout the week to cultivate your heart for His glory, those are the critical things that are produced by the church community.



During the two weeks following surgery, two men who played integral roles in my children’s spiritual growth passed away: Aaron Wilkins (Aug.6) and Jeff Yelton (Aug.16). Without getting into details, because members of both families may be reading this, I will simply say that both passed at far too young of ages and via one-in-a-million style situations. It was truly incomprehensible. Jeff was only 48. He was a deacon at Old Town Baptist Church and he played a critical role in Devin coming back to God after things had gotten away from him for a while. His was a name that I heard Devin mention at least once a day. I did not know him, yet I feel like I did and I am incredibly grateful for the guidance he provided. Aaron was only 35. He was a middle school teacher and an important part of the youth programs at River Oaks. He impacted each of my children spiritually, and since then I have gotten to know his family and I understand just how incredible he truly was. Why do I mention these men? Because it was inexplicable to me that God would allow someone who had been as distant as I had to pull through a surgery that had so much potential to go sour and then allow this pair of His devout followers to pass. These men had both done more in a couple short years for my children’s spiritual growth than I had in a lifetime. It made no sense and, if I am completely honest, I was overwhelmed with an odd sense of survivor’s guilt. This is the type of thing that had turned me away from God in the past, but now I found myself feeling like there had to be a reason why I was still here…an unachieved purpose.


About three weeks into my recovery, I again dreamt about going to Arizona with the Williams’. Again, Michelle and I just kind of laughed it off as a preposterously silly dream. Two days later something occurred that started to change our perspective. We discovered that good friends of ours from church had committed to relocate and assist the Williams. This family certainly seemed more prepared in their faith to assist in this mission, but it also seemed like an incredible risk for them. Suddenly, an avenue for dialogue about this had opened up. After talking to them we could not help but start to consider that this was something that we may actually need to consider. Soon we discovered that the family of a good friend of Chase was also considering the move which was substantial because both Chase and his friend struggle with Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of high-functioning autism that among its many traits makes social interaction difficult). The knowledge that these two could each already have a friend with them out there made the decision distinctly easier for both families. After a meeting with the Williams’ we learned that basis for this new church was everything that we were looking for. The church would be based around what we do in between those Sunday meetings through missions and what John has defined as “Life Transformation Groups”. We still were not ready to commit though. This was a HUGE decision to consider and as someone who had essentially shut God out of his life for most of his adulthood and had thrown much of his biblical knowledge into the mental furnace, it terrified me.



Michelle and I began a period of heavy prayer and research. Things suddenly began to fall into place. We discovered friends that we knew lived in Arizona, not only lived there, but they lived in the exact area we were looking at. Then we found that much of the most groundbreaking research on Chiari Malformations and Syringomyelia is being performed in Mesa (my surgery more than likely was not a permanent fix and the issues are likely to reappear down the line). Again, I put God to the test. I was again requesting an unmistakable sign. This time I predicted what the sign would be, or, rather, God knew exactly what I would be looking for. I told Michelle that if we were supposed to do this, I would receive promotion opportunities at work…the ultimate in temptation for a workaholic like me who has been biding his time waiting for openings to occur during what had to be the most stable management year and half in company history. I said this right before returning to work in mid-September. My first week back I was only working four hour days to get back into the groove of things. On my third day back, two Senior Manager positions came open and I was asked to interview for both (it wasn’t a General Manager position, but it would be a nice promotion to set me up for a GM promotion). I declined to interview for either. I didn’t even feel tempted. Despite the timing, I shook it off as a fluke. About ten days later, a GM position opened up in Alabama and I was again asked to interview. Again, I declined and truly felt no temptation to pursue it. Frankly, I was still in denial, but it was becoming difficult to deny what was happening. The clincher dropped on me the following week. My GM approached me and told me that the company would consider relocating the current manager of our Dallas facility and having me take over in Dallas if I was interested. DALLAS, seriously, DALLAS! For those of you who may not know, there are only two other places in this country that they could have used as a greater temptation: Bloomington, IN and Cincinnati, OH. Since I work for a company named Southern Theatres, I don’t think they are venturing into those areas anytime soon. This was truly the ultimate thing this company could offer me. Much to my own amazement, I again declined not feeling any real temptation to accept. Michelle was already prepared to commit before I even issued this challenge to God, and now I knew that this was definitely what we were being called to do.



Since committing to be a part of the Arizona team life has been very interesting. We’ve had conversations with all of the immediate family regarding our decision. Everyone was very accepting of our decision. Some asked a lot of questions and some got really quiet, but we did not have anyone put up any resistance, which was a blessing. After all, this is a very difficult decision to explain and it does require us to move substantially further from our entire family than we already had. Michelle and I are diligently attempting to expand our knowledge of God’s word, because our hearts are willing but our knowledge and understanding definitely require much more work. Since we are moving mid-school year, the kids want to finish out the year homeschooling after we move and then enter their new schools in the fall, so I have a lot of prep work to do for that. Michelle is already fielding job offers since there is no shortage of need for an OT with a lot of experience with geriatrics in Arizona. It is all going to be a matter of timing and negotiation with that one (Come on big relocation bonus!). I still have no idea what I will be doing for employment, but I do know two things: One, it won’t be in a theater and probably not retail…the schedules are just not conducive to achieving our goals out there; Two, I think I would make a great homeschool teacher and househusband (just call me Mr. Mom). Also, just to prove that temptation never ceases, two more promotion opportunities have crossed my path since making this decision.


I have been asked by several people what it has felt like to experience a“calling”.I believe that everyone experiences them, but may not identify and pursue them when they present themselves.For me, the closest thing that I can compare it to is falling in love. Truly, the only time that I have felt an inescapable impulse like this was when I fell in love with Missy and had the desire propose to her.It starts off as an idea…An idea that you brush off because it doesn’t seem right at first.It’s too hard, it’s too much of a commitment, it’s just a rush of excitement that I am caught up in and it will pass.The thing is, it doesn’t pass. It doesn’t go away.At first it can be more like something scratching you from inside that you cannot ignore, but then it evolves and becomes something that not only can you not escape, but that you do not want to escape.It creeps into your every thought, no matter what you are doing. You’re in the middle an intensive work assignment, you’re completely engrossed in a sporting event, you’re completely focused on any number of things and yet you are not completely focused on them because this feeling has started in the background of whatever you are doing and slowly moved into the center of it.It absolutely will not allow itself to be ignored and will not relent until you finally release yourself to it, embrace it, become it. Though my wordplay may make it seem ominous or undesirable, that is certainly not the intention.It is beautiful, it is incredible, it is intense, it is LOVE!The greatest thing that I could wish for anyone would be that they would one day be gifted with the ability to recognize, embrace and experience this.


This part of the prologue ends at this point, though technically it continues until we officially relocate. For those of you who were disappointed by the absence of discussion over The Three B’s, there may still be hope. Though I must end this blog entry here, that does not mean that I won’t be back to hijack the blog again in the future. There is plenty of space in God’s world for beer, babes and bacon and I just may come back at some point to explain it.


I leave you with this…Have you committed your senseless, brutal act of kindness today?

And It's Broke.... Again!

In November of 2009 I wrote THIS post, when Chase broke his leg for the first time.  Then in November of 2010 I wrote THIS post when he broke it for the 2nd time.  Well...  tonight I'm writing this very post because yep....  he broke it again!  Same leg, same place as the previous 2 breaks...  down in the growth plate of the distal fib.  He'll have an MRI done next Tuesday to see exactly what's going on in there and then we'll go from there....  Poor kid!

Here's a photo history....

November 2009

November 2010

 October 2012!!

Long Overdue Update!

Sorry to leave you hanging....  hopefully you follow us on Facebook and know the update.  But if not, here it is.

After Mike's thyroid scan came back "indeterminate for malignancy" he had a fine needle biopsy done by a friend who happens to be an endocrinologist.  It was so comforting to have someone that we're familiar with walking us through this process!!!  In the end, it was benign and simply a nodular hyperplasia...  meaning a thyroid with multiple benign nodules!  Praise God!

This left us with one unanswered question...  why was Mike struggling with a really fast heartrate?  We were referred back to our family doctor to explore it and a 24 hour holter monitor revealed he was having atrial tachycardia as well as some supraventricular tachycardia.  In other words...  just a really fast heart rate that needed some help to slow down.  He was started on 25mg of Metoprolol and that helped instantly, but wasn't quite enough.  So he takes 50mg a day and that seems to have done the trick!

We saw the Neurosurgeon September 20th for a follow up after surgery and he was more than pleased with Mike's progress!  He's been released to work full time and seems to be building up his endurance level each and every day!  It's been so good to see Mike resuming an active life!

Through this process we have seen God at work in so many ways!  Mike endured a surgery that had a high risk of complications and outcomes.  Things like stroke, paralysis, dysphagia, weakness, numbness, and yes....  even death.  But he walked away with NOT A SINGLE complication!  He walked away with a newfound trust in Jesus for peace, comfort, and healing.  And he walked away saying "prayer works!"

His faith growing through this is only the beginning of what lies ahead of us....  stay tuned for a post from him in the near future!

Update to the Last Post

Labwork came back and Michael does have to see a specialist.  He has an appointment Friday at 2pm.  The doctor will review his labs, and he also does his own ultrasound and can do his own biopsy in the office - all in one appointment.  Thankful for that little blessing!

We have had Enough!

Yep...  that about sums up Mike right now.  He just has had enough.

Recovery has been far from easy.  Well...  maybe I shouldn't say that.  Recovery has been good as long as he's on steroids.  Unfortunately his body cannot tolerate any more steroids!  His blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugars are all climbing and he is very swollen.  So...  he's now been off them for 2 days and he's starting to show signs of problems again. 

As if that's not enough, an MRI late last week picked up on Mike having an abnormal thyroid.  Our family doctor called Monday and said it was probably nothing, but he wanted to have an ultrasound done Tuesday just to be safe because he has had some pretty low thyroid hormone levels.  Yesterday we learned that the ultrasound showed several nodules on both the left and right lobes of the thyroid.  One imparticular was quite large and the radiologist felt was suggestive for malignancy......  yep....  the big C word!  The right lobe was labeled as having several colloid cysts. 

Today we met with our family doctor to decide what, if anything to do about Mike's thyroid scan.  After much discussion with our family doctor and how rare thyroid cancer is (especially in men), we have opted to start with more labwork first.  They drew a full thyroid panel this afternoon and we should have the results of the labwork sometime tomorrow (Friday).  If the labs come back abnormal the next step will have to be a referral to an endocrinologist for a special ultrasound with a guided needle biopsy.  Fun stuff!  NOT!

Anyhow, if we seem distant or cranky, it's simply because we have had enough.  We aren't blocking anyone out or trying to walk this on our own without the support of all those who have loved on and prayed for us.  It's simply because we really have needed some time alone to refocus and process all that we've been through...  all that MIKE has been through. 

Again, we are grateful to the outpouring of love and prayers from our church family, our local family, and obviously our family!  We ask that you continue to pray for our family....  for Mike's recovery and ongoing tests, for my patience and strength to help him, and for the kids.

In Christ

Michael & Michelle

We Just Don't Understand...

As we prepared for Michael's surgery, we also prepared our hearts for the risks...  they were high.  He could have been paralyzed, had a stroke, or even died on that table.  There were no guarantees going into it.  The outcome of his surgery has been nothing short of miraculous with NONE of the risks that were more than 30% likely to occur!  None!   We have been so overjoyed and thankful for God's healing grace.

But just days later, a friend died tragically and unexpectedly.  A faithful follower of God who shared his love of Jesus with everyone he met.  A man who convinced my Chase (at the time 10 years old) that it was ok to be different and that he would love spending a week at our church's summer block party and then every Sunday after that Chase would look for Mister Aaron just to say Hi!   A man that my husband would see in church praying each and every Sunday across the aisle while most everyone else in the church was standing and worshipping, showing my husband that you can be real and worship in your own way each week.  A man who said the most encouraging words to me after Kayleigh sang on stage last summer, less than 4 weeks after nearly losing her life and told me that SHE was a blessing to HIM!   A man that Devin was just getting to know and that Devin could look up to as a Christian role model.  Truly....  a man of God who sought God each and every day of his life! 

Mike and I had a conversation yesterday about the mixed emotions we both feel.  One minute I am grateful that my husband is doing more each and every day, the next I feel guilty that my friend's husband is gone.  Mike's take on it is a bit different.  He wonders why he was given God's grace and more time on this earth when he openly admits he hasn't been as faithful as he should be - the way that Aaron always was, but Aaron was the man called Home...  a man who shared the love of Jesus each and every day.  He said it just seems so backwards to him and he's just not sure what to do with it. 

I don't know the answers to these questions that are stirring in our heads and I don't know why Aaron was taken from this earth leaving behind a loving wife and 4 children who don't understand it all either.  But, we are not meant to understand God's plan for each of us. 

What I do know - without a doubt - is that we can trust in God's promises and know that all of this will be used to further our own faith, grow us as a family of believers, and teach us to lean on Him more.  I also know that we need to immediately stop and say to ourselves, am I doing everything I can to show and live out love every single day of my life the way that Aaron did so that I also can be called Home and told "well done, good and faithful servant!". 

Mike has said he realizes was given more time for a reason....  he wants to hear God's call and for his life and find the reason that he is still here. 

In the coming days, weeks, and months; please continue to pray for Debbie and their 4 boys:  Joshua, Andrew, Bradley, and Paul. 

God is So Good!

Wednesday was hard...  no doubt about it!  Walking one direction in preop while they wheeled the love of my life in ther direction for a brain surgery that had multiple risks and no guarantee of success was the HARDEST thing I have ever done!

But...  God is so good!

In a nutshell, the surgery took 6 hours.  In layman's terms, they removed part of Mike's skull, removed his C1 vertebrae, opened the lining to the spinal cord and brain up to "clean things up", and then used a patch (or a hammock as Mike calls it) to put the cerebellum back where it belonged and keep it in place.  The surgery itself went very well and the neurosurgeon said the spinal fluid started flowing normally before he even closed up!  So no shunt needed!  AND his incision isn't NEAR as big as we anticipated so it should heal beautifully! 

God is SO good!

Recovery was a bit not so smooth.  He had a hard time in recovery and in the ICU not breathing well and got sick several times in the first 6 hours.  By the next morning he was holding his own though, and he was moved to a private room in the neuro step down area just outside of the ICU...  Less than 24 hours from the completion of surgery...  a day earlier than expected!

God is SO good!

First part in Neuro was a bit rough...  but Mike brought that on hisself!  He thought he'd be a hero and not ask for anything for pain until he was a 9 out of 10 and visibly suffering!  He learned quickly that stubbornness would get him nowhere!  Once he caved and allowed them to give him what he needed he did great!  He was awake for a good portion of the day and had a few visitors.  We were even able to have the kids over the first night in step down so that they could see Daddy was well. 

Again... God is SO good like that!

Friday was a little harder, but we expected it.  OK...  maybe harder isn't the right word...  it sucked!  Mike's surgical site was very sore and tender, muscles were angry at him, he was weaker and more fatigued...  and the biggest kicker was he had hiccups ALL DAY LONG!  They finally were able to get something ordered from pharmacy to get rid of them once and for all and things seemed to start to turn around by the time I left, though he was still hurting because of the hiccups all day thrusting through his head!

The "God is So Good" parts of Friday were that we were able to completely transition off of ALL IV medications to oral medications and off the oxygen....  2 days post brain surgery!  Way earlier than anyone expected!  He was able to get a good solid 2 hour nap in with very few "leashes" attaching him to medical equipment.  I couldn't take my eyes off of him while he slept ever so peacefully!

Saturday morning when the doctors rounded we were given Mikes' walking shoes....  3 DAYS POST BRAIN SURGERY! 

God is SOOOOOOOOOO good like that! 

We were home by 10am today, and both of us asleep by 10:30am!  Mike slept more peacefully than he has slept in the last several days...  in his own bed!  We got up a briefly at noon and 2pm for meds to be given, and then got up around 5:30.  He was able to take a very short walk (up the sidewalk about 2 houses and back), came back and ate, and now he's on the chase lounge watching a bit of the Reds game. 

He does have a long road ahead of him as his surgical site, and his brain and spinal cord heal.  There are also still a few serious risks that we have to watch out for - infection and spinal fluid leaks.  Either of these 2 could land him back in the hospital so we have to keep our eyes open.  He's very weak and fatigues VERY easily.  For the next several days we will continue the same pain regimen that they got him on in the hospital and then we will start weaning it all back slowly and see how he does. 

But...  God is so good and has carried him through this far in a miraculous way and I know that He will continue to do so. 

We could not have gotten this far without the prayers of so many!  We are thankful to every person who has walked this journey with us!

We are grateful to so many!

The outpouring of love and support to us is more than we know how to handle at times.  I've had a few hours to myself this afternoon and have been reflecting on the army that is with us, as well as what we are facing ahead of us. 


We are grateful to:

Jim and Jenni Hobeck, who have been with us from day one before anyone else even knew that something was brewing; for fervently praying for several months; for the frozen meals they have prepared so that anytime along this journey if I am tired I can just pull out one of Mike's favorites and toss it in the oven!

Jay and Cindy Dietrich who have stood along side us supporting us and putting together a "child schedule" for Paige and Chase to help keep their lives as normal as possible and for keeping Chase as if he was their own child.

Steve and Donna Heinz who are taking Paige for the entire time Mike is in the hospital so that she can have consistency during a very trying and emotional time.

Steven and Tina Tisdale for their nonstop prayers, emails, phone calls, taxi driving Paige to/from tennis, and putting together a meal schedule for the entire month of August while Mike recovers so that I can focus on him.

To the 19 families that have signed up to deliver us meals.

To the Men's Ministry at church for offering to take care of our lawnwork that has been neglected in a big way during this ordeal.

To Mandy Dixson, for coming to super clean our hosue so that Mike can come home with as little risk of infection as possible.

To my boss, Carrie, and my employer for giving me all the time that I need to be with Mike for appointments, his upcoming surgery, and recovery. 

To my staff for being the absolute best team I could ever imagine working with and for their ability to be able to run smoothly for any period of time without my being there.

To Mike's boss, Lisa, and his employer for tolerating the confusion, mood swings, exhaustion, headaches, silly mistakes, and so much more over the last few weeks.

To our church family...  the family that isn't blood but is right here with us and and we can absolutely rely on for any need we may have.

To our family...  for the love and prayers sent across the miles when they can't be here.

And to all the rest of you who I may have not specifically mentioned.  I know that there are countless people who are on our side and praying. 

To all of you, we are grateful!

Happy 63rd Birthday Mom!

My Mother was born, a beautiful baby girl who grew up to be a beautiful woman both inside and out. I miss her so very much. I still remember every detail of her face, how she smiled as she baked in the kitchen, and watching her give her grandkids the biggest hugs ever!

While she's not here with us, we know she is celebrating her special day with the angels in Heaven.

Much love to you, Mom!

Happy Birthday!

This Sums It Up Perfectly!

It's a GO... August 1st.

Mike's surgery is scheduled for August 1st. In a nutshell, it's - literally - brain surgery. They will not only go in and try to "fix" the Chiari to alleviate some of the symptoms that affect his daily life, but they may also attempt to put a shunt in the spinal cord to drain the spinal fluid that is pooling and causing the numbness, tingling, and tremors in his hands.

Reaching Out For Prayer...

As I'm sure many of you are aware, there is never a dull moment in our house, specially when it come to medical things.  My husband says that it's like it comes in waves.  We go through a few months of chaos then a few months of calm and it's set on repeat!  This time is different though...  this time it's him.



Michael started having headaches again several months back.  I noticed him complaining of the more, but he told me I was crazy.  Back around Christmas I even started tracking them and then told him I thought he should call the doctor.  He, of course, refused....  "I'm fine...." is what I got.  The last (roughly) three momths he's had a "haziness" about him in addition to the headaches, and he said a few times it was like he felt "out of his body".  Again, I said PLEASE call the doctor....  again, he refused.



These headaches have progressed to almost a constant 5/10 headache and a numb feeling in his fingers.  Several days a week it comes with the "haziness", inability to focus, and the headache becomes "a headache that puts all migranes to shame", and at times he has trouble putting his thoughts into words coming across somewhat choppy and confused.  Mike is also dealing with some tremors in his hands and balance issues that come and go.



Wednesday May 30th, it all came to a head and he finally gave in... his symptoms caused him to be nearly unresponsive for a short period of time.  He was unable to speak or move, and just looked at me as if he was terrified and trapped in his own body.  When he came out of it his symptoms were pretty bad and even scared him.  From May 30th to now has been a whirlwind of appointments with the family doctor (who thought he was having strokes!), neurologists, and now a neurosurgeon. 



One week ago today (June 21st) the neurosurgeon told us that his CINE MRI series of his brain, spine, and cerebral spinal fluid confirmed that Mike has Chiari Malformation with Syringomyelia.
In layman’s terms:

Chiari Malformation happens when for some unknown reason, the cerebellum begins to herniate through the base of the skull into the opening of the spinal cord, “jamming things up” so to speak.  Mike’s also has cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) building up IN the spinal cord . He has the CSF building up (Syringomyelia) from his T2 to his T10 vertebrae currently.  This is what’s causing his tremors, numbness in the hands, tingling in the hands, and it’s also now causing the debilitating headaches – the headaches that Mike describes as “headaches that put any migraine I’ve ever had to shame”. Essentially they are spinal headaches.  Chiari does not always present with this CSF buildup, but when the CSF is collecting abnormally on the spinal cord and there is a Chiari it is typically the result of the Chiari blocking CSF from flowing through the brain properly. 

Our options are not easy to choose from...

He can leave it alone and do nothing. There is no medication to treat this disease though and medications to treat symptoms don’t eliminate the symptoms, only lessen them so he’s not AS miserable. The problem with leaving it alone is that the CSF can slowly continue to build up in his spinal cord causing progressive numbness, weakness, and could eventually even lead to partial or complete paralysis.   No one can tell us how fast it would progress, just that it is a progressive disease.... no 2 people progress at the same rate or the same way. We really don’t even know how long he has had this disease other than we have copies of his MRI reports from 2001 and it was specifically noted that he had no chiari at that time.

He can have a surgery that is not guaranteed to work. They take out a piece of the lower skull to access the cerebellum and somehow use a synthetic type of material to “lift” the cerebellum back where it belongs, give it more space, and alleviate the herniation. They would also literally open up the lining to the spinal cord up near the brain and “clean it all out” to make sure there isn’t anything in there that’s contributing to the problem. All of this will allow the CSF to freely flow the way it should. It may or may not alleviate the CSF that is built up in his spinal cord, it doesn’t always go completely away. They may be able to insert a shunt into the syrinx to drain it, but they won’t know until they get in there and see it all. The surgery may alleviate some of his symptoms or all of them, but the damage that’s been done by the syrinx to the spinal cord is IRREVERSIBLE... so the numbness, tremors, and tingling he feels in his hands will not go away regardless of surgery. Surgery MAY keep it from progressing. Some people have the surgery and there is no change in function at all. In addition... even if the surgery does work and he feels better, the Chiari could come back and he could find himself right back in the same place. Again, they can’t tell us IF this would happen or if it does how long the period of relief would be. Everyone is different.... no one knows.

Risks of the surgery are scary...  it’s brain surgery! It’s not an easy thing. The surgeon could make a mistake and knick the cerebellum or spinal cord causing anything from stroke to paralysis. Scar tissue could form inside the lining to the spinal cord causing it’s own damage. He could come out of it paralized, unable to swallow, unable to speak....  Yikes!  There are just no guarantees.  Infection is always a risk also – with any surgery. Recovery is long and painful because of the way the surgery is performed. He would spend at least the first day in the ICU and then spend 4-6 additional days in the hospital depending on how he does and his pain level.

There are no easy answers or decisions.




We are asking for prayers for guidance to decide whether or not to go through with the surgery, and Mike is asking also for prayers for courage to "pull the trigger" if surgery is the right thing to do. 



Thank you for your love and support!

Love Love Love 'Love Lee Photography"!

Ramie Lossman from Love Lee Photography took Kayleigh's senior pictures and did such a great job we thought she may be up for a bigger challenge....  a photoshoot of the entire Lyons family including both Mike's Dad and Judy as well as his Mom, Mary.  I think she did pretty good....  what do you think?