Friday, February 3, 2017

Continued Prayers Needed...7th Update On Kristen

Matthew 11:28-30

I apologize that it has been a while since I was able to publish a new post here.
Thank you so much to all who have contacted me to check on us!
I have several blog posts started and in the pipeline, and I hope to publish them soon.
Unfortunately, my laptop cord stopped working, and, boy, do I miss my laptop!
It is hard to get used to using a desktop again, especially when health issues hinder you from being able to remain at a desk for long periods of time.
So, this post won't be as long-winded as mine usually are, 
but I am compelled to write with an urgent plea to all of you prayer warriors on behalf of my dear niece, Kristen.

As you know, she is expecting her first baby, and she has a blood clot in her right lung.
It has just been a horrible time for her.
Due to her pregnancy, they cannot give her the medicine she really needs to dissolve the blood clot quickly, and in order to make up for that, they had increased her dosage of the alternate medicine to try to compensate for the lack of the medicine she really needs.

Fast forward to this week, when she began to have nose bleeds and abdominal pain.
Her doctor has reduced her dosage, which has stopped the nose bleeds, praise God, but she is still having severe heart palpitations, racing heart rate, and elevated blood pressure.
As you can imagine, all of this is bringing on anxiety and so much fear.

Dear friends, please, please keep praying for Kristen.
I know so many of you are, and you just have no idea how much it means to my family and me.
We are SO grateful for every prayer you are praying on her behalf, and it does not escape us that our dear Lord answering all of the prayers going up for her is precisely why she is doing as well as she is.
Yesterday, I found out that one of you dear, precious friends is even fasting on her behalf.
You know who you are, and I tell you, I just cannot put into words what this has meant to Kristen, to me, and to my family.
To think that one of you would lay aside food for the sake of interceding to God for Kristen's healing just humbles me beyond what I can express.
"Thank you" seems so inadequate to convey our deep appreciation,
and I can only hope that the dear Lord will abundantly bless and reward your sacrifice on our behalf.

Praise God, the sweet baby boy Kristen is carrying is still very active, and the heartbeat is very strong, in spite of all that is happening right now!
She is 17 weeks along today!

I have been enjoying finding little things for the little fellow.
It is so much fun to know that we will soon have a new baby in our family again!
I am choosing to believe that GOD will heal Kristen,
protect that baby boy and allow him to be born full-term and completely healthy,
and spare both Kristen's and his life to a ripe, old age!
Surely this case is not too hard for our God!

Jeremiah 32:27

"And He said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
Luke 18:27

I don't know what you may be going through right now, but I want to encourage you to keep looking to the Lord to see you through.

Hebrews 12:2

Even though, we do not understand why He allows trials to come into our lives,
He is ever-faithful to remain by our side through them all.
Here are some Scriptures that have been sustaining me through some hard places lately.
I hope they encourage you, uplift your heart, and comfort you as you face your own dark times.

Isaiah 41:10

Psalm 46:10

Deuteronomy 31:8

Joshua 1:5

Deuteronomy 33:27

Isaiah 59:19

I Peter 4:12, 13

Hebrews 12:11

Psalm 46:1

Psalm 62:8

Isaiah 43:1,2

 A precious blogging friend who has been such a dear blessing and comfort to me over the past few years has been gifted by God with the ability to not only write, but to take some of the most lovely photos.
As is the case with several of you precious readers, she and I have been through a lot together on this blogging journey.
We have shared heartaches and tears and many, many prayer requests.
So many times, I have opened our inbox to find a sweet note of encouragement from her, just when I needed it most.
Today, she sent this to encourage me in my current battles, and I was so grateful that she granted permission for me to share it with you here.

Photo and Poem by Gentle Joy
I hope you take the time to stop by and visit her beautiful blog by clicking here.

One of the old, comforting hymns dear Mom used to sing to me when I was down or going through a hard trial was written by May Olinger and entitled, 
"What Should We Do Without Jesus?"
It was one of Mom's favorite songs.

Here are the words...

I have thought of that song so many times, as Mom is on my mind so often when I am going through deep trials.
Oh, I do miss her!
I've lost count of the times I have longed to call her for prayer.

After my prayer warrior Papaw died in 1979, I remember Mom telling me how much she missed Papaw's prayers.
My heart went out to her, but I couldn't come near to comprehending the depths of her loss until I lost Mom in 2012.
There is no way to measure the worth of a praying parent, 
and when they are gone, the void is indescribable.

What should or would we do without Jesus?
To whom would we turn?
I find that I lean harder upon Him with each passing day, it seems...
even harder since my own dear praying parents are gone.

Proverbs 18:24

Psalm 27:10

Another dear blogging friend, Victor, (you may remember and like to read his Inner Views published here) put together this beautiful version of "What A Friend We Have In Jesus".
I hope you enjoy it.

If video doesn't load, click here.

If video doesn't load, click here.

Keep encouraged, dear friends.
Jesus overcame every, single obstacle put before Him in this life,
and because He triumphed, so can we.
There is a crown reserved for each and every one of us, waiting in Heaven.

2 Timothy 4:8

Thank you ever so much for your love, kindness, friendship, support, and continued prayers
for my dear niece, Kristen, and my family and me.

God bless you all!


  1. Praying for Kristen and her family as well as for you and your family.

    God bless.

    1. Thank you ever so much, my friend. God bless you and your family, too. :)

  2. What a worry this must be for you all. Keeping her in prayer.

    1. Thank you, dear Elizabeth. I trust you and your husband are doing well today. God bless you. :)

  3. I stand with you believing for Kristen's healing and a healthy birth. What a beautiful photo! Thank you for sharing it with us and encouraging us as you are encouraged. Have a great weekend, precious sister.

    1. Thank you ever so much, dear Mary! You will never know how much we appreciate your faithful prayers and love and support. God bless you, sweet friend. :)

  4. Continuing to pray for Kristen and her baby... and you and your family. So many times we have no idea what God is doing... yet He has a plan. Your verses are wonderful and good to see the update. What sweet words. :)

    1. You are so is so hard to understand and see what God is doing while it is happening. Often, it is in the "nevertheless afterward" that we see we were never alone. So very thankful for your sweet visit, my friend. God bless you!

  5. My dear Cheryl. Please know that I'm praying daily for Kristen, her p ecious baby me your entire family. Both of the hymns you have shared today are favorites of mine. God will be there and will carry all of you throug this trial you're enduring. Especially dear Kristen.

    1. Dear Betsy! I often think of you and am so comforted to know that you are lifting my dear niece in prayer. I cannot thank you enough. I am praying for you, too, dear friend, and trusting Jesus to heal you speedily. You will never know how much we appreciate you love and support and encouragement. God bless you. :)

  6. Prayers for Kristen and her baby boy will continue.. My heart goes out to them and family. I can't imagine the fear this is. Please let Kristen know that I am praying and asking everyone I know to pray for her too. Thank you for letting us hear from her..
    God is so awesome.. In His loving care we place Kristen and her baby boy.
    Hugs my friend.

    1. Thank you SO very much, sweet Judy. It just means the world to us to know that you are praying and asking all that you know to pray. Oh, we just appreciate it SO much. May the dear Lord bless you abundantly, dear friend. :)

  7. Prayers for Kristen and the troubling situation. God is bigger than any trial.

    1. Yes, praise God, He IS bigger. Thank you so much for that sweet reminder, Dayle. I appreciate you so much! God bless you. :)

  8. Praying for Kristen- for healing and also for God's presence and peace in the midst of the uncertainty. I'm glad the baby is doing well- praying that continues. I love the picture and poem your friend sent you. Thanks for sharing that here.

    1. Thank you so very, very much, Lesley. It just means the world to us that you are praying, and I so needed and appreciated those words of encouragement. Sending you much gratitude, my friend. God bless you. :)

  9. Hello, my sweet friend. Thank you for the update on Kristen....will continue to pray for her and her baby. With God all things are possible!
    I went over to Gentle Joy's blog and subscribed. Thank you for sharing her link. :-)
    Much love to you. ~Melanie♥

    1. Oh, dear friend! We so appreciate your precious prayers and faithfulness and encouragement. You are such a dear blessing to me. Yes, praise His name, all things are possible with Him! I am so glad you subscribed to Gentle Joy. You will be so blessed by her sweet spirit. God bless you in a big way. Sending much love and many hugs back to you!

  10. Praying for Kristen and the baby. God has a plan.

    1. Yes, He does. Thank you for reminding me, brother, and we SO appreciate your faithful prayers. God bless you!

  11. I hopped on over to check on Kristen. Glad to hear that the baby is still well! This is a praise!
    I bind the spirits of fear, anxiety, and unbelief in the Name of Jesus, asking You, Lord, to bind them also in the heavenlies, in Jesus' name. I pray, Lord, that You will send in their place the fullness of the Spirit of Peace, Joy, Endurance, Faith, and Power, and that You will continue to work for Kristin to bring her healing in Jesus' name. I praise You, Lord, that the baby is still well and that You have Your strong, loving hand upon them to protect them from the evil one. Please bless them more and more, and the rest of the family as well, for Your glory and honor and praise, of which You alone are worthy.
    In Jesus' name, Amen

    1. Praise God for that anointed, powerful prayer, dear Ruth. Oh, we do so appreciate you. You have been so faithful to pray and encourage us in this trial. May the dear Lord bless and reward you abundantly, sweet friend. :)

  12. Continuing to pray for Kristen and little guy.
    Blessings to you,

    1. Thank you so much, dear Laura. I love and appreciate you dearly. May God bless and reward you always. :)

  13. You are claiming some wonderful Scripture verses to carry you through these days, dear Cheryl.
    God is working in beautiful ways that we are unable to see, but we know and believe He is doing a great work and it is all for our good and His glory.
    I continue to pray for Kristen as she goes through anxiety,I cannot imagine what she must feel knowing that the blood clot is in her lung, but oh, our God is such a BIG GOD!
    I was thrilled to hear that the baby is strong and quite active, why, that alone gives us hope!
    Be encouraged, all of you! :-)

    Sending you much love and BIG hugs~

    1. Oh, how I thank you for all you do and for your dear, precious encouragement, my sweet friend. I so needed this encouragement! All of us did! May God bless you over and over for your loving support to us in this trial! Sending you love and hugs!

  14. A wealth of scripture and promises you have shared dear Cheryl! My heart goes out to sweet Kristen, and the scary journey that she is on, and I pray every day that the Lord would grant her peace in place of the fear, joy in place of the anxiety, and hope in place of the worry. He is able! She is going through so much, but the Lord knows just where she is at, and we will continue praying for her!

    I enjoyed Gentle Joy's photograph too for a long time, and then I lost touch with her blog, so thankful you shared the link, I will go and visit with her next! What a beautiful picture and quote she sent you! And dear Bro. Victor's song was perfect for this post. Praying for all of you dear friend, and especially for Kristen and the sweet little one during this time. Many hugs to you!!!!!

    1. Thank you ever so much, my dear friend. Knowing you are praying daily just means the world to us. We cannot thank you enough, and we hope God will bless and reward you for the dear blessing you are to us and so many others. I am so glad you can re-connect with dear Gentle Joy now! Sending many hugs back to you!!

  15. We have a 'brain bleed' situation in our church right now.. and God is doing some amazing things to bring about health. I will pray again for dear Kristen.

    1. Oh, my, how terrible! I am so sorry to hear this and do trust Jesus to heal this person completely. Thank you ever so much for your continued prayers for Kristen. God bless you, sweet friend. :)

  16. Yes, I will be praying for your niece and her little one! What sweet comfort God has given you through His Word and the sharing by your friends! He is so good to let us know that we are not alone in this journey, isn't He? I have loved that hymn since I was a little girl--thanks for the reminder today! May you and your family be blessed this week!

    1. Yes, dear Bettie! He is so faithful to send many reminders that we do not walk alone. I do trust you are feeling better today. It is always such a dear blessing to see that you have stopped by. Sending you love and hugs!

  17. Hi Cheryl! Your niece is always in my heart when I pray. I was mentioning her to Jesus just this morning. What a powerful prayer fasting is too. You are surrounded by faithful people who are praying, this is such a blessing. May she continue to carry her little one successfully, as the doctors struggle to find the answers they need to treat her.
    I miss my dad so much, and I know he prayed for all of us. But I think now, he is prayers are so much more powerful, as he lives with the Lord. I know your parents do as well, and are praying and loving you so much.
    Whatever took your time, I know you needed to be there. I missed your posts, but knew you had challenges to face. May God continue to bless you with his peace and loving help.

    1. Oh, Ceil! Your words were such a blessing and encouragement to me today! Thank you ever so much. I miss posting, and it seems I have so much to write about! Hopefully, soon, Lord willing. You are a dear blessing and encouragement to me on this journey. Sending you much love and gratitude today. :) God bless you!

  18. My prayers are with you and your family! God Bless you!

    1. Thank you ever so much, Michael. Your visits and kind words are so appreciated! God bless you, too. :)

  19. God is true to His word and desires Kristen to be well more than anyone else. Praying...
    Have a super blessed day Cheryl!

    1. Thank you for that encouragement, sweet friend. God bless you abundantly!

  20. I pray that your niece will be healed and have a full, healthy life ahead of both her and her baby. Take care, Kelly.

    1. Thanks, Kelly! I appreciate your prayers so much! God bless you. :)

  21. I'm keeping your niece in my prayers! The poem was beautiful!

    1. Thank you ever so much for your prayers! God bless you!

  22. Looks like I missed this post. The photo and poem are beautiful, and thank you for all the encouraging Bible verses--and for sharing the hymn. Have a beautiful weekend, Cheryl!

    1. I am so thankful for your visit, dear Bethany! I hope you have a beautiful weekend, too! God bless you for your friendship and support and encouragement to us. :)