Background and Inspiration

I have been contemplating starting a journal for quite some time.  The last couple years have been a blur.  Now that I have had some time to reflect I want to document the events as best as I can remember them so our children and grandchildren can better understand what has occurred and more importantly, what an amazing lady Mom was.  It is easy to sit back and say “its not fair” and “why us?”  As a family we do our best to look at the positives that came out of such a negative situation.

We have had so many unexplainable things happen to us that it makes sense to start documenting them.  Signs from God are all around us.  We have seen that Mom continues to live through us and we know she is present.  This journal will illustrate the amazing gifts that we have received from God by opening our hearts and by opening our eyes.   

We have shared our story with several people.  We have heard more times than not, “you guys should write a book.”  We have grown as individuals and as a family during our trying times.  You never realize how strong you are until you are put in a situation and you are forced to deal with it.  Often times when we tell people our story they say, “I don’t know how you guys got through that.”  We didn’t get through it by ourselves.  God gave us incredible strength when we needed it the most.   We are also blessed to have amazing family and friends to lean on for support.  Our wounds will never be healed and our hearts will always be broken but we face each new day and see it as an amazing gift!

You have to take what is given to you and make the best out of it, no matter how grim the circumstances are.  During the end of Mom’s illness, we shed many tears yet we laughed so hard we cried.   We had three choices: 1) be angry; 2) sit in a corner and cry/feel sorry for ourselves; or 3) enjoy the time we were given and make the most of it.  We chose #3.  We knew Mom’s time on earth was limited so we did the best we could by pulling together and continuing to make memories.  

Life is full of ups and downs and things may not always turn out how you had them planned.   Never in a million years did I think Mom would leave this earth as a young, vibrant 56 year old woman.   I imagined Mom and Dad as the couple who lived to be a ripe old age and when one passed away, the other would be right behind.  I never imagined that my sister would be diagnosed with cancer at such a young age.   There are many other events that have taken place in my life that weren’t in my plans of how things were supposed to play out.  I have learned everything happens for a reason and every little piece of our lives are already planned out.  We have to have faith in the good times and bad times.  It is normal to want to know why things are happening the way they are, especially in the darkest of days. 

The song “Already There” from Casting Crowns is one of my favorite songs.  The song illustrates that our lives are all well planned out and while at times it seems chaotic, our lives are part of God’s master plan.    

“From where I'm standing
Lord it's so hard for me to see
Where this is going
And where You're leading me
I wish I knew how
All my fears and all my questions
Are gonna play out
In a world I can't control

When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You're already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You're already there

From where You're standing
Lord, You see a grand design
That You imagined
When You breathed me into life
And all the chaos
Comes together in Your hands
Like a masterpiece
Of Your picture perfect plan

One day I'll stand before You
And look back on the life I've lived
I can't wait to enjoy the view
And see how all the pieces fit.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrOotpSKOX0

I learned so much about life through Mom’s death. Mom’s death was meaningful and was part of God’s beautiful master plan.  I do not want to spoil all of the surprises but Mom ultimately saved Rochelle’s life and my life.  There are things that happened along the way and 20+ years later we have seen how some of the pieces fit together.  As the song says, we will see how all of the pieces fit at the end of our lives. 

As a family we experienced the lowest of lows during Mom’s illness and ultimately with her passing on October 13, 2012.  We are all still healing from losing Mom but we promised Mom we would continue to live and be happy.  Some days are easier than others but overall we feel extremely blessed as a family.  If I would have had a crystal ball and could have seen everything we were going to experience I would have thought it was a nightmare/curse and I would have never seen the situations as “blessings.” 

 We are so thankful that Mom was able to meet four of her grandchildren.  As the time of her passing, Bryson was 4, Anisten 3, Holden 2 and Kardyn Grace 4 months.  Mom was only able to hold Kardyn a few times and then she became too weak and ill to hold her.  This was heartbreaking to experience but we are so thankful we have some pictures of Mom doing what she did best—loving and spoiling her grandchildren.   

I have been contemplating whether something so personal should be broadcasted for everyone to see or if this is something that should be kept private amongst our closest family and friends.  I received the answer to my lingering question on May 5, 2014. The day started out like every other Monday morning.  When I got to work, there was an article on my chair.  The title caught my attention, “Tell the untold ‘God Thing’ Stories in Your Life 

The last paragraph of the article reads as follows: “…A common phrase I hear used these days to describe stories like this is, “It was a God thing.”  It’s amazing to watch God work through people.  It’s amazing to watch God’s perfect timing unfold.  It’s amazing to see God work in seemingly desperate or hopeless situations.  During this year of evangelization we are all challenged to join Father Strobl in his efforts to share the story of God’s best work: the story of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I suspect we can all do a better job of telling the untold stories in our lives.” 

I immediately took this as the answer to my question about my journal.  The answer couldn’t be any more obvious.  I tracked down my boss and thanked him for the article.  He looked at me, confused, because he didn’t know why I was thanking him.  Come to find out, the article was not intended for me. There was an article on the back that he wanted me to email it to his friend.  I would have never read the article if it were face down.  Coincidence?  In my opinion, there is no such thing as coincidence. I was supposed to see that article. I am supposed to share the awesome stories with the world! 

I used to feel like I had to give a disclosure before I told our story to people.  I had the feeling that people wouldn’t believe what I was telling them and that they would think I was crazy.  Quite honestly, before our experiences, I had heard some stories similar to ours but admittedly, some of the stories were hard to believe.  I now hear others’ spiritual stories in a whole different light. After experiencing what we have, I know it is real.  I promise you spiritual things are happening in your life too—you may not recognize them as signs but I invite you to open your hearts and eyes to see the beauty of God’s work.

Trying to come up with a catchy name for the journal/blog has been a challenge.  I wanted something that is fitting, something that is easy to remember and a title that created suspense.  I was taken back by the article so I was throwing around the idea of “God Thing” as the official title.  

On May 8, 2014 I was running out of the office in my typical fashion—LATE.  As I was pulling out of the parking lot I heard, “go to our website at www.klove .com and search “God Thing.”  What?  Did I hear that right?  I wish radios had DVR capabilities.  I was intrigued and as soon as I got home, I greeted the boys and I went to the K Love website and searched “God Thing.”  In a matter of 3 days I heard the phrase "God Things" twice.    

Below are portions taken from the K-Love website about the new book called “It’s a God Thing: When Miracles Happen to Everyday People”

It's a God Thing is a collection of 46 real, modern day miracles written by YOU! If you start looking for God's activity in your life; if you start looking for "God moments;" it'll change the way you think of them. You start understanding that God is active, He's involved and He cares. - Don Jacobson, Co-creator of "It's a God Thing"

Some things in life have no earthly explanation.  Miracles are not reserved for the characters in the Old and New Testaments; they happen to everyday people.  Series creators Don Jacobson and K-LOVE Radio have joined together to produce one of the most remarkable collections of modern-day miracles ever compiled.   It’s a God Thing presents some of the most amazing stories of God’s hand on our lives.  Be motivated as never before to look for and witness the incredible ways that God is interacting in your life and the lives of those around you.

 “Every day we all are faced with stress, situations we can’t control and often the fear that we really are all alone. . . . These stories give us courage in times of peril and strengthen us when we feel helpless.”—TobyMac, top Christian artist and Grammy Award winner

“There is so much going on around us that we never see. Life is all about perspective, and when that lines up with the hand of God, it is remarkable to witness!” —Andy Andrews, New York Times best-selling author, The Noticer and The Traveler’s Gift
 
“Sometimes I’m guilty of looking so hard for God that I miss Him right in front of me. May we all be reminded through It’s a God Thing that some of the simplest moments in life can quite possibly be some of God’s greatest miracles.”—Bart Millard, lead singer of MercyMe

“Nothing astonished people in the New Testament more than watching Jesus perform a miracle right before their eyes—and nothing inspires us today more than hearing He did it again!”  Bruce Wilkinson, author, The Prayer of Jabez
 
“There is nothing better than hearing others talk about the ways that God has intervened in their lives. Miracles happen every day all around the world. These stories are incredible.”—Robert D. Smith, author, 20,000 Days and Counting

Now that the stage is set, I am going to do my best to illustrate how God’s constant love is always present and the beautiful reminders we have received along the way.