AWAITING DUKE'S PLATELET COUNT

UPDATE on Duke 07/27/17, 12:55 p.m.:

UGA checked his platelet levels this morning, and there is no change YET. The vet said we need to give it another full day, as the med often doesn't kick in for three or four days.

The internal bleeding (stomach/GI tract) is worrisome, and until his platelet levels come up, there's no way of stopping it--but it isn't heavy, thankfully.

Last night, that they had given him a red cell transfusion, as his levels had gone down due to loss of blood (also found in his stool).

So . . . we wait. Honestly, I was fine yesterday, not fine today. I miss my dawg and his dogginess. You fellow doxie lovers know where I am coming from!

Finally, whatever happens with Duke, I will NEVER forget the love and prayers shown to us by people from everywhere. I have felt your prayers, your love, and your concern for Duke and his welfare. People I don't even know have private messaged me, offering prayer and commiseration! People have asked pertinent questions, not "canned" comments. God is in control, and you have been His ambassadors to our family, from my hubby and me down to the grandchildren, who love Duke so much. They had lost their doxie Shadow in February, who was 16.

LOVE to all of you, many who are also going through difficult times. I offer my prayers back to you, that God will comfort and sustain you, just as He's doing for us through you, friends, and family.

Duke is holding his own--he's not better, but he's certainly not worse at this writing. I'll take that for now <3 span="">.

DUKE IN VETERINARY HOSPITAL: VERY ILL

Duke began throwing up last Wednesday, so by Friday, we took him to the vet. She noticed some bruising on his belly as well as pinpoint bruising in his ears, a sign that all was not well. A blood test confirmed that he had extremely low platelets, 18K--the range should be 117K to 450K +. Needless to say, we were very concerned. She put him on prednisone and three other meds to build up his system.

Friday 3 a.m. he started throwing up a good amount of blood, so we ended up taking him back to the UGA Veterinary Hospital ER; by then, he was in much pain, lethargic, and obviously suffering.  Last night they gave him platelets, but he was having a lot of trouble with that, so they also gave him a regular blood transfusion, which seemed to perk him up a bit. Today, he is stabilized, but is not in very good shape. Their job is to determine what is causing his low blood platelet count. Likely not the bone marrow, since his other blood elements are fine; could be an autoimmune response, where his body is devouring the platelets; could be some form of cancer.

Being completely honest, I vacillate from "everything is going to be okay" to "I'll never see my sweet fur baby again." I have to accept whatever comes. If it means he has to be on autoimmune meds the rest of his life, we are willing to do that. We do want him to have a good quality of life, though.

This situation is very difficult to accept. We've had Duke since he was eight weeks old, and he's just turned ten. He's been a wonderful pet and companion, even a nurse when I had my knee surgeries--he stayed right by my side to make sure I was okay.

Your prayers would be greatly appreciated. I know he's "just a dog," but for those of us who think of our fur babies as family members, we go through about the same things as we do for humans. If that sounds weird or freaky, so be it. It is what it is.

God is in control, and if His eye is on a sparrow in a tree, He's watching over Duke right now.

Dachshunds . . . you gotta love 'em.

THE CLARION CALL

Every day, another scandal or another murder/terrorist attack/massacre occurs in America. People are scratching their heads: why is so much more bad happening or coming out right now?

I am burdened for America--God is trying to get America's attention. We see all the corruption and evil in high places; society as a whole seeks pleasure, entertainment, wealth, self gratification in ever more ungodly ways. We've "sanitized" our lives of Him and replaced Him with things and actions that are superficial at best and evil at worst.

If you, like me, care about America, we must first realize that, although we Christians are just passing through this life on the way to our eternal home, we must serve Him and spread the gospel here. We must seek Him first individually, and repent of our sins as a nation.

I put myself in the category of needing to cry out to God, seeking Him more than ever before, asking Him to use me for His glory. Will you join me?

I share all this from a broken and contrite heart. I have taken God's blessings for granted far too long. It's time to pray harder, go longer, speak out louder, and share His love greater. Together, God's army can make a difference, one soul at a time. I  

God promises to heal our land if CHRISTIANS pray and repent--not the world out there. All these terrible things are happening "on our watch," so to speak. The time has come that we become better citizens, not only of this country, but most importantly, of His kingdom.

2 Chronicles 7:14 is the clarion call to repentance--it is not too late, but I truly believe time is short.

TO MEET SUCH A MAN

A friend on Facebook shared the story below, and it moved me too much not to share it here:

I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day.

As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, "I will work for food."  My heart sank.

I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him.  Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief.

We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways.  I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call for some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.

Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: "Don't go back to the office until you've at least driven once more around the square."

Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square's third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack.

I stopped and looked, feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out, and approached the town's newest visitor.

 "Looking for the pastor?" I asked.

 "Not really," he replied.  "Just resting."

 "Have you eaten today?"

 "Oh, I ate something early this morning."

 "Would you like to have lunch with me?"

 "Do you have some work I could do for you?"

 "No work," I replied. "I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch."

"Sure," he replied with a smile.

As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. "Where you headed?"

 "St. Louis."

 "Where you from?"

 "Oh, all over; mostly Florida."

 "How long you been walking?"

 "Fourteen years," came the reply.

I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, "Jesus is The Never Ending Story."

Then Daniel's story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He'd made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought.

He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God

 "Nothing's been the same since," he said. "I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now."

 "Ever think of stopping?" I asked.

 "Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me.  But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles. That's what's in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads."

I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: "What's it like?"

 "What?"

 "To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?"

 "Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn't make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people's concepts of other folks like me."

My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused. He turned to me and said, "Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I've prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in."

I felt as if we were on holy ground. "Could you use another Bible?" I asked.

He said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite. "I've read through it 14 times," he said.

 "I'm not sure we've got one of those, but let's stop by our church and see."  I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful.

 "Where are you headed from here?" I asked.

 "Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon."

 "Are you hoping to hire on there for awhile?"

 "No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that's where I'm going next."

He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission. I drove him back to the town-square where we'd met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things.

 "Would you sign my autograph book?" he asked. "I like to keep messages from folks I meet."

I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, "I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a future and a hope."

 "Thanks, man," he said. "I know we just met and we're really just strangers, but I love you."

 "I know," I replied. "I love you, too. The Lord is good!"

 "Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?" I asked.

 "A long time," he replied

And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, "See you in the New Jerusalem."

 "I'll be there!"  was my reply.

He began his journey again. He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, "When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?"

 "You bet!" I shouted back. "God bless."

 "God bless." And that was the last I saw of him.

Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them . . . a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them.  Then I remembered his words: "If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?"

Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry. "See you in the New Jerusalem," he had said.

Yes, Daniel, I know I will . . .

HELPFUL ADVICE

 

 

I offer this bit of advice to anyone reading this blog who might be going through a difficult time right now.  We all have difficult times now and then, but if you feel that your burdens are just too heavy, take them to the Lord.  I can personally vouch for the fact that He has never let me down.

 

 

If you do not consider yourself a Christian, well, you can also do something about that.  God is not willing that any should perish.  Confess your wrongdoings (sins) to Him, accept His Son Jesus Christ as your Savior, and repent of your sin.  Believe that He died on that cross for you, was buried, and rose again.  It is why He came to this earth:  to make a way for mankind to reach God after the broken relationship that occurred when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden.

 

 

It is my prayer that anyone who reads this post will reach out to Him . . . He will always come to those who truly seek Him.  John 3:16

"G" IS FOR . . . GRATITUDE!

Have you ever had one of those days where things did not go according to plan, or it just went downhill after you managed to crawl out of bed?  The dog wouldn't even wag his tail as you walked by--but bared his teeth and snarled?  People didn't smile at you, even if you smiled at them first?  Or, you tried to handle some business by phone, but could not get through?  I recently got the recorded message, "All our representatives are currently helping other customers.  Please remain on the line and the first available representative will take your call.  You have a wait time of 45 minutes.  Thank you." 

If the last item sounds crazy, I did not make it up--I was handling something for my mother (you guessed it--with a government agency), and my wait time was actually 45 minutes.  I put the call on speaker and simply worked on the computer until "my turn."  Of course, once I got a live person, I was transferred a few times and had to explain myself each time, but I finally accomplished what I needed to do.  Whew!

I said all that to say this:  oftentimes, it is downright hard to have an attitude of gratitude.  Life happens, and it isn't always a bed of roses.  (By the way, who coined that phrase?  Why would a bed of roses represent something comfortable or something that turned out right?  Roses have thorns, so what idiot would even want a bed of roses??).  But I digress.

Something happened recently that upset me greatly.  I just did not understand why those who had promised to do something had let me down, and then didn't even seem to care that they had broken their promise!  I mean, it didn't really seem very important to them at all.  (Before I proceed further, I want to make it clear that these people were not family members, thankfully.)

It wasn't something trivial, but rather important to me, actually.  I knew my attitude was wrong, so I took it to the Lord in prayer.  I asked for wisdom, a change of heart, and gratitude that so many other things in my life have gone so right.  As I prayed and asked the Lord for His help in changing my hurt feelings, He brought to my mind all those things for which I am blessed.  As I went over them in my mind, I could feel that my anger and resentment were just ebbing away.  My pity party was over, and I was able to have victory over this problem.

Oh, it is so easy to glibly tell people to let go of negative feelings, to pray about them, and to turn them over to the Lord, but it just isn't that easy to DO.  I knew my anger and hurt would eventually subside on the surface, but I didn't want buried resentment, either.  So, I thanked Him for all the things in my life, realizing that nothing happens in a Christian's life without God's permission--even so-called bad or negative things.  So:  why did these circumstances occur in my life?  We don't always know why, but then, God is not obligated to explain Himself to us.  We must simply trust Him and His reasons.  I did decide that perhaps one reason was to make me take stock of myself.  I am sure that there have been times in my life when I have let others down, maybe not intentionally--but rather than casting stones at others, I'd better look inwardly and make certain that my life is what it should be.

I am grateful for my Lord who answers prayer.  I could not have gotten rid of the resentful and hurt feelings on my own.  I would have been able to go on, of course, but I didn't want to carry around the baggage of those feelings.  And now, they're gone.  He took them away, and for that, I have much gratitude.  I can move on, live my life, and not have any resentment toward those who seemed not to care. 

It is no longer my problem, anyway!

Dabblers of the Faith?

As a Christian, I don't put God in a box to be trotted out for Sunday services.  He is an integral part of my life, not "something" to be put away, compartmentalized, and categorized until I want to bring Him out for my wants/needs.  He is not a celestial bellboy or a heavenly vending machine.  I believe Joni Earickson uttered that last sentence many years ago, so I don't take credit for it.  Today, the mission of Christianity and the Church is running on autopilot rather than having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ . . . and sharing it with the world.

What brought this on, you ask?  There are those who would have Christians put up, shut up, and give up.  I'm not going to do that!  I must stand fast on His promises, stand up for what is right, and stand strong in the face of evil in this world.

Fellow Christians, we must pray, serve, witness, and study with renewed energy!  We cannot  be mere dabblers of faith . . . but committed soldiers going forth to all the world to spread the Gospel in His name. 

Join me!