Change Of Plans

Well, we will not be able to go to church in the morning. Lovebug is sick with a bad chest cold, please say prayers for him. I am dissappointed, but I need to take care of my lovebug. God knows our hearts, and I know He understands. Prayfully, we will be going next Sunday morning. For those of you who will be attending church in the morning, be thankful. Raise your hands, and your voices in praise to our Father God. I love you sweet friends.

Prayer Request

Please pray for my eyes, they are hurting so badly, and continue to get weaker. Diabetes has taken a toll on both of my eyes. The left eye is definitely the worse, it hurts all the time. I am totally trusting Father God with my vision, I believe He will heal me. When He is ready, He will take my pain away. If He chooses to heal me, He will heal me in His time, not my time. I am content with that, Father God will allow me to see through His precious eyes. Thanks for your love and prayers. I appreciate all of you so much.

Weekend Plans

Hello dear blogging friends, hope you are all doing well. Praying for all of you to be sweetly blessed with a wonderful weekend. Thursday was suppose to be lovebugs last day of physical therapy, but they want him to go back for a couple more sessions. He is doing really well, working so hard. They had him jogging a little bit last week, and working out in the gym on some machines. He gives it 100%, I am so proud of him. His neuro surgeon released him this week, told him as far as the spinal cord compression problem is concerned, he is released. Surgery is not necessary at this time, praise God. He also told him as far as he is concerned, lovebug can start driving again, that made lovebug so very happy. We go to see his neurologist on March 11, he is the doctor taking care of lovebugs CIDP. Lovebug is still numb from the waist down, including his feet. Please continue to pray for total healing. If the infusion treatments work, it usually shows up in about 30 days, which will be March 8. At his March 11 appointment, the Doctor is going to let lovebug know if he can go back to work on lite duty. Please pray that lovebug will be able to go back to his job doing lite duty. He hates not being able to work, and we really need the money. We love you all so very much, and appreciate your love and prayers. More good news, we will be going back to church Sunday, lovebug will be driving us. Woo Hoo!! I am so excited, can you tell??? Praise God.

Thankful Thursday

Another Thankful Thursday is here, time to praise God for all our blessings. I really do not know where to begin to thank You Father God. If it were not for You blessing us through the kindness of several blogging friends, we would not have a place to live, or have a car. It is scary living month to month, but that is what we are doing. Father God is hearing the cries of my heart each month, and graciously answering my prayers. I truly do not understand how some people do not believe there is a God. I am living proof that He is real!! Without Him, I would be homeless, with Him, I am provided for. We have 11 more months, and our car will be paid off. We were so excited, counting the months down. Now, we are scared, wondering if we will lose our car. It is the only car we have. But, we also have Father God, He is all we really need. He loves us, and cares for us. We are placing all of our love, hope, faith, and trust in Him. He has never failed us, and on Him we fully depend. He is our solid rock, we continue to stand upon Him. He will not let us fall. Thank You Father God, we love You beyond measure.

Thinking Back, Looking Forward

Two months ago today on December 24, Christmas Eve, I was at the hospital with my dear lovebug. Our roller coaster ride was just beginning. That night, lovebug nearly died in my arms, was taken to ICU, as I was taken downstairs to the emergency room nearly in diabetic acidosis. Talk about stress!! All I wanted was to see my lovebug, and he was upstairs in ICU asking to see me. When my sister in-law came to see me in the emergency room, she had her camera with her. She had taken a picture of lovebug, when she showed me his picture, I kissed it and cried even more. When they finally let me go upstairs to ICU, I ran to lovebugs bed. I was so happy to see him, words could not express how I felt. We were in the hospital from December 23-December 31. What an adventure. At first they thought lovebug had a stroke, but then they ruled that out. Then, they said it was possibly MS, but then they ruled that out. Talk about frustrating, not knowing what was happening to my lovebug was beyond frustrating. Then, they finally told us it was Gillian Barrie syndrome, so we were trying to adjust to that news. Well, then he had another nerve conduction test done, and after they got the results from it, they told us he did not have Gillian Barrie syndrome, instead, he has the sister disease to MS, called CIDP. So, now we are trying to deal with this diagnosis. Lovebug is numb from the waist down, when he was in the hospital, and when we first came home, his left hand and arm were numb also. Praise God, his hand and arm are no longer numb. But, he remains numb from the waist down. He had infusion treatments last week, and for the rest of the year, he will go once a month for a treatment. He has been going to physical therapy, but that ends this Thursday. He has not worked since December, has been drawing temporary disability from his job, which is $175.74 a week. I have applied for SSI, still waiting to hear if I am going to be able to get anything. Right now, we do not know if lovebug will be able to go back to work on light duty or not, will find that out on March 11 when he sees his doctor. Please continue to pray for us. Lovebug really wants to go back to work, and I pray that he will be able to. I believe that God will heal him. Financially, God has graciously provided for us through the help of so many of you. If my dear blogging family had not made donations to the lovebug fund, we would not have been able to pay our rent or car payment. Thank you will never express how we feel. Your kindness and love to us, means so much. It is scary being in this situation, but God is with us, so that makes it all better. Sorry this post is so long, but wanted to share what is on my heart.

Pursuing Love- The Unloving Twins

“Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant…” 1 Corinthians 13:4 Last week we looked at jealousy, and wanting what someone else has. This week we’re looking at the unloving twins – bragging (boasting) and arrogance, or trying to make others jealous of what we have. While jealousy puts people down, bragging and arrogance, puts ourselves up much higher than we desire.
Questions to ponder:

•Do you boast about your abilities, gifts, accomplishments, or possessions? No, I do not boast about my abilities, gifts, accomplishments, or possessions. We should never be guilty of boasting, instead, we should forever thank our Father God, Who blesses us with all that we have, and all that we are.

•Are you self-promoting, trying to draw attention to yourself with your words? No, I am not self-promoting. I try my best to always be God-promoting. I want my words to lead others to Him.

•Do you flatter others, with a secret hope of advancement?
No, I do not flatter others with a secret hope of advancement. I flatter others, to encourage them, and show love to them.
•Do you enjoy telling about your achievements, more than listening to the accomplishments of others? No, I would much rather hear of the accomplishments of others.

•Are you content to do good works, without recognition or praise? Definitely, I never want the praise. The praise totally belongs to my Father God, always.

•Do you accept credit for things God has done? No, and may I never be guilty of that.

•Do you have an accurate assessment of your strengths and weaknesses? I pray that I do.

•Do you harbor a spirit of pride – an inflated view of yourself? No, actually, it is the exact opposite.

•Do you feel your spiritual gift is superior to others?No, Father God has blessed each of us with our own unique spiritual gifts.

Answered Prayer

My dear friends, God is so awesomely amazing. Once again, He has heard the cry of my heart, and graciously answered it. Because of the kindness of one of my precious blogging sisters, who made more than a generous love offering to the lovebug fund this morning, we will now be able to pay our march rent. I feel so very unworthy of the blessings that my Father God has been pouring out upon me recently, but I am so very, very grateful. To my Father God, and to my wonderful blogging family, thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I love you all.

A Simple Womans Daybook

From my daybook: Monday, February 22, 2010
Outside my window.. it is 59 degrees and wet from the overnight rain. It is cloudy.
I am hearing: Praise music from my radio
I am wearing: Black jeans, and a blue t-shirt
I am thankful for: God's amazing love for me.
From the kitchen:Pinto beans cooking in the crock pot.
I am creating:Prayer journal, and devotion journal.
I am going:To physical therapy with lovebug, and then to Walmart.
I am reading:My Bible, and a marriage devotion book.
I am hoping: For lovebug to get stronger and stronger.
A year ago today:Lovebug was working, and had total feeling in his body.
I am praying for:Total healing of lovebug, the happiness and well being of my family and friends.
Around the house: I need to clean the refrigerator, and do laundry.
A few plans for the week:Lovebug has a doctor appointment on Tuesday, and more physical therapy on Thursday.
One of my favorite things:Bubble baths.

Please remember that Peggy at The Simple Woman's Daybook is the hostess for this weekly. Stop by and visit other daybooks.

Prayers Needed

Calling all prayer warriors, our rent will be due in one week. I know our God is faithful, He has proven that time after time. He loves us, and watches over us. Please pray that the doors of heaven will open up, and blessings will pour out for me and dear lovebug. Join me in believing that we will be able to pay our rent. I love you all. Please continue to pray for total healing for lovebug. Your love and prayers are greatly appreciated, please keep praying, never give up.

Thankful Thursday On Saturday

Hello my dear friends, sorry my thankful thursday post is late this week. I have been in the bed since Wednesday night, dealing with a very bad head cold. Just now feeling well enough to be out of bed. Praying you are all doing well. I love you all very much. I am thankful this week for all of you, and your continued kindness to me and lovebug. Please keep praying. I am thankful for my lovebug, he never changes. With all he is going through, he continues to take care of me when I am sick. These last couple of days, he has cooked for me, given me medicine, and really watched over me. He is my favorite doctor, now, and always. I am thankful that my Father God is such a constant in my life, He keeps my life from turning upside down. I am thankful for today, tomorrow, and each day that God blesses me with.

Pursuing Love-No Room For Jealousy

There should be no room at all in your marriage for any jealousy. They call jealousy the green monster for a reason, it is totally toxic. It will poison your marriage, and cause it to slowly start dying. As a matter of fact, jealousy should not be in your life at all, it hurts everything it connects with. Here are some of the questions for this week:•Do I rejoice with those who rejoice? Yes, I do. I feel joy is something that is very contagious, and needs to be shared. When others are happy, that makes me happy.
•Do I rejoice when others receive blessings, and benefits that I have not received?
Yes, we all have our times of blessings and benefits. They just arrive at different times, under various circumstances.
•How do you respond when your husband gets attention, or honor, or praise, that you know, because you live with them, they really don’t deserve? I do not have the right to say whether he is deserving or not, that is only for God to decide.

Todays Update

Hello to all of my sweet friends, sending you love, prayers, hugs, and many blessings from Tennessee. Well, today we were able to get lovebug in to see our primary care doctor, praise God. After doing a few tests on him(bless his heart), the reason for the bleeding in his bowels was diagnosed as a bad case of hemorrhoids. So, she wrote him a prescription, and sent us on our way. So relieved that it turned out to be something simple. Lovebug has physical therapy on Wednesday and Thursday this week, and his last infusion treatment on Friday. Please continue your prayers, we appreciate them all very, very much. Have a great week. We love you all.

Valentine's Day Love

My friends, my heart is smiling really big tonight. My daughter of the heart, Cheyenne, and her husband Jon, who has quickly become my son of the heart, surprised us this weekend with a visit. They live down close to Atlanta Georgia. Cheyenne said that Jon asked her what she wanted for Valentine's Day, she told him that she wanted to come visit us, and take us out to our favorite restaurant for Valentine's Day. So, that is what they did. Today, we were treated out to a delicious meal at Golden Corral, by our two precious "children" We had such a wonderful day, alot of laughing, hugging, and heart to heart moments. Big, big thanks to Cheyenne and Jon. We love you two beyond words, and we miss you already.

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day to all of my dear friends. Thank you all for daily filling my heart with love and joy. May God fill your hearts, and life's with daily blessings. Lovebug, I love you with all I am. I am daily amazed at this love I feel for you, it grows more each time I look at you. This year, more than ever, I realize how blessed I am to have you. Christmas Eve, when you fell back on that hospital bed, and went lifeless in my arms, my heart almost stopped. You are my heart, without you, there is no me. I know you are feeling discouraged, because you could not celebrate Valentines Day this year the way you wanted to. You always spoil me with gifts, and dinner. Well, let me tell you something straight from my heart, this is the best Valentines Day I have ever had. Still having you here with me,is the greatest gift ever, there is nothing else I need. I am totally complete, because you are here by my side. Laying in your arms, my head upon your chest, hearing your sweet heartbeat, that is a gift that money cannot buy, yet, it is the richest blessing ever. I love you lovebug, everything is going to be fine, as long as we are together, with our Father.

Update And A Prayer Request

Well, today was suppose to be lovebugs last infusion treatment, but he was not able to get it. This morning, we had a scare. He was using the bathroom, and called for me to come in there. The commode was filled with bright red blood, and lovebug was really freaking out. So, I started trying to calm him down, and encouraging him that everything was ok. Thank You Lord for keeping me calm for my lovebug. We got over to the hospital for his treatment, and told the nurse what was going on. She immediately called his neurologist, and told him what was happening. He said not to do the treatment, and to send lovebug downstairs at the hospital for some lab work. So, away we went, and successfully got that taken care of. Then, they wanted us to go see our primary care doctor today to let them exam lovebug. They called to set things up for us, but there was a problem. Our doctor had already left for the day. So, they called to set it up with another doctor. The appointment was made for 3:30 today. Thank God for lovebugs mom, she drives us everywhere, thanks mom. So, then it starts snowing like crazy. We get to the doctors office, fill out all of the paperwork, then they tell us that the doctor cannot see us because he is not our regular primary care doctor. So, lovebug did not get to see a doctor today. Please pray that he will not bleed anymore, and that this is not anything serious. We will prayerfully be seeing our primary care doctor on Monday. Keep us in your prayers, we would very much appreciate it. Love and big hugs to all of you.

Thankful Thursday

Another thankful Thursday is here, and I am more than ready to give thanks to the Lord. He deserves all of my thanks, and so much more. He is carrying lovebug and me right now. We experienced some rough times this week, and some discouraging news, but the Lord softened the blows. He picked us up, kept us from getting down. We refuse to let satan get even a tiny foot in our lives, we kicked him back to hell where he belongs. Prayers continue to get answered, and sweet blessings continue to flow forth from the Lord through dear friends. Yesterday, on my blog post, I requested prayer concerning our car payment. I had been in much prayer over this, and as always, God heard me, and answered me. Last night, when I got back online to check my email, we had gotten two donations through paypal. We will now be able to pay our February car payment, and get some groceries this week. So, we were doing some major praising around here last night. We do not have enough words to say how very, very thankful we are, but we will never stop praising our Lord. We love You beyond measure Lord, and we thank You for our precious blogging friends. Bless them, as they bless us.

Please Pray

Please pray that we will be able to pay our Feburary car payment, it is due by the 14th. Your love, and prayers are greatly appreciated, we love you all. Two more infusion treatments this week, back to physical therapy next week. God is with us.

Pursuing Love-Love Is Kind

Kindness puts people at ease, tells them you're out to do them good, instead of harm. That allows people to feel safe around us. But if Ephesians 4:32 is right, it's mostly a matter of doing to others, as God has done for us.

Ancient gods are not usually portrayed as being kind. Their stories are more about anger or about being distant or uncaring, or doing weird things just for sport. That is how most of the ancients thought of their god(s). The Hebrew (and thus the Christian) God is characterized by love and kindness. But God is not always kind, due to God's sense of reality and justice. God will not turn kindness into a lie, and will only be kind in the face of deception and brutality for a short while.

Since God is kind, the follower of Christ is to be kind. Being kind is part of being holy, a mark of what makes the Spirit-led person distinct from others. How does this show?

•treating people with respect instead of cussing them out,
•listening instead of blowing them off,
•some gentle words for your girlfriend,
•a helping hand to an elderly woman in a store.
Do acts of kindness for people. Give them little tastes of God's love. People actually like being treated kindly, as if they are valued. They can lay down at least some of their defenses, relax more, and feel comfortable. Most non-Christians have an expectation of being treated a bit more kindly by Christians, and are disappointed, and sometimes even angry, when they're not treated that way. While it's wrong to live according to others' expectations, it is a challenge we need to take to heart. Many practicing Orthodox Jews today, do good deeds (mitzvot) as the opportunities present themselves in their daily lives, mainly because it is what God wants them to do. To them, doing good for others is more than a duty, it's also a prayer and a devotion.

Being vicious can be fun. There's a visceral kick one gets from throwing knives at one's chosen enemies. Radio talk show hosts, including some supposedly "Christian" ones, live on it, and their fans feed off of it. Gossip circles spread the ugly words far and wide. Put-downs become an every-day part of life. But cruelty doesn't make you important, it just makes you cruel.

The Battle Has Only Begun

Hello my precious friends, praying you are all doing well. Today was a very long day, with some unexpected twists and turns for me, and my dear beloved lovebug. Today, was his first day of infusion treatments, they continue tomorrow morning. His blood pressure went up several times, please pray it will do better tomorrow. We were given some news today, concerning lovebugs condition. He does not have Guillian Barre Syndrome, instead, he has what is known as CIDP. It is in the same family as MS, it is a autoimmune disease. It is a chronic disease, but guess what?? Our God is a mighty, mighty God. War is waging in lovebugs body, but our God is the most powerful warrior ever. He is our healer, our true physician. We believe, we believe. Father God, we love You, and we are calling on You, and crying out to You for healing. Just one touch from You Father, that is all it takes. You are faithful. We continue to march on.

Join Us

Well, at 11:00 A.M. in the morning, our new journey begins. Lovebug will start his infusion treatments. We will be there anywhere from 2-4 hours each day this week. Please pray for the following: that the treatments do not make him sick, or raise his blood pressure. Join us as we raise our hands, and voices toward heaven. We are praising God for what we know He can, and will do for lovebug. I feel with all of my heart, that the treatments will work, and that lovebug will get the feeling back in his legs, and be able to get his life back to normal. Please join us in believing this, give God praise for what He is about to do. We love, and appreciate all of you very, very much.

Let Us Do Good

Hi my dear sisters. This is Marsha from Marsha’s Musings . Denise was kind enough to let me come on here and share about their current financial situation and the on going needs.
Denise is so good at filling us all in on Love Bug’s therapy sessions and information about his upcoming 5 day treatment on Monday. What she doesn’t share is the fact that their only source of income is gone. Love Bug has provided faithfully for the 2 of them for 25 years. To now be faced with being on short term disability during his therapy and treatments has been difficult for him, as it would be for any man.
Their current situation is this:
~ God continues to meet their needs through the body of Christ! They started February with all bills current. Thank You, Lord!
~ Gifts and disability ($175 a week) that came in the first of the month enabled them to pay their rent on time! Again, Thank You, Lord!
~ Physical Therapy is 3 times a week and they have a $25 co-pay each time.
~ Food stamps – they have not been able to apply for that yet because of PT and doctor appointments and then some bad weather. So, for now, they are on their own.
~ They have utilities, medications and a car payment to make this month, and then it’s March already.
~ Remember, Eddie is unable to drive right now and Denise can not because of health conditions. They are totally reliant upon others to take them to all their appointments.
Denise is always there for all of us with lots of love and encouragement. I know Denise personally and I know she means every word she says. She loves each one of us and prays for us. And oh my, that girl can pray!
Now it’s our time to come alongside her and help as the Lord directs. To make it easy for you, we’ve placed a PayPal Donate Now button on her side bar. This is totally safe and secure. Pay Pal’s a good service. If you would still prefer to send your gift via the mail, that’s every bit as much appreciated.
Please know that Denise and Eddie are totally humbled by your love and generosity. They are just blown away and love you more than you will ever know.
Let us all do good as we have this wonderful opportunity to help our brother and sister over the next few months until they can get back on their feet.
Thank you! You all bless me.
“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” Galatians 6:9,10


Seeking Him,
Marsha Harwood

Find me daily @: Marsha's Musings
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Thankful Thursday- Daily Blessings

Another Thankful Thursday is here, Iris has chosen daily blessings as the theme this week. Wow, great theme. Lovebug and I are experiencing daily blessings right now. We are blessed with energy to get through our very busy days that are filled with Doctor appointments, physical therapy, and running errands while we have transportation. The daily blessing of prayer warrior friends and family, that are lifting us way up in their precious prayers, we feel those prayers, please keep them going. The daily blessing of love from friends and family, it truly warms our hearts, thank you all. The daily blessing of encouragement that lovebug and I receive from all of you, you will never know how very, very much we need it, and appreciate it. The daily blessing of knowing deep in our hearts, that we are going to receive a miracle, God is going to heal lovebug. The daily blessing of a marriage that has lasted for 25 years, and our love continues to grow. Thank You Father for all of our daily blessings, we love You so very, very much.

Pursuing Love: "Love Is Patient"

Join us at Marsha's Musings in "Pursuing Love" over the next several weeks.


This week's topic is "Love Is Patient." Some other questions to potentially focus on and answer in your post:

•Have you ever built a wall around you to protect your wounded heart from being hurt?
•In what way(s) do you drink deeply of His love for you?
•Do you have a passage of Scripture about God being patient in His love towards us you’d like to share? : What a perfect topic for me and my lovebug at this time in our live. We are learning more and more patience daily, for each other, for our situation, and for God's timing. You cannot hurry love, or put it on a schedule, you must learn to patiently wait upon its arrival, and believe me, it is so worth waiting for. You must be patient with one another, always. God will lead your marriage where it needs to be, and He will give you the patience you each need to daily get through your journey. Have I ever built a wall around me to protect my wounded heart from being hurt? Yes, I definitely have. When my stepfather sexually abused me, I built a huge wall. In what ways do I drink deeply of His love for me? I daily drink from the bottomless well of God's love for me, could not survive without it. It sustains me. Psalm 37:7- Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently upon Him.

Update On Lovebug

Hello everyone, sending love, hugs, and many prayers your way. I wanted to update you on my dear lovebug. He went to see the neurologist yesterday to have an EMG.
An electromyogram (EMG) measures the electrical activity of muscles at rest and during contraction. Nerve conduction studies measure how well and how fast the nerves can send electrical signals. Nerves control the muscles in the body by electrical signals (impulses), and these impulses make the muscles react in specific ways. Nerve and muscle disorders cause the muscles to react in abnormal ways.

Measuring the electrical activity in muscles and nerves can help find diseases that damage muscle tissue, or the nerves. It confirmed that he definitely has Chronic Guillain Barre Syndrome. What is Guillain Barre Syndrome?
Guillain-Barre syndrome is an uncommon disorder in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves. Weakness and numbness in your extremities, are usually the first symptoms. These sensations can quickly spread, eventually paralyzing your whole body. They are going to set him up for a weeks worth of
IVIG treatments. What is IVIG used for?

IVIG is approved by the FDA for use in the treatment of the following diseases: Kawasaki disease, dermato/polymyositis, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), Guillain-Barre syndrome, polyneuropathy, some viral diseases, and some forms of immune deficiency. IVIG is often the first treatment choice for patients with Kawasaki disease or ITP. For other diseases, it is used after other forms of treatment have failed.

In addition, IVIG appears to work in systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid syndrome, vasculitis, multiple sclerosis, myaesthenia gravis, and a wide range of other diseases characterized by abnormal immunity. In these cases, particularly because IVIG is very expensive, it is usually necessary to obtain approval from your insurer before the drug can be prescribed. (Again, IVIG is usually used in these diseases only after other forms of treatment have failed.)

How is IVIG given?

IVIG is given intravenously (dripping liquid slowly through a vein) over several hours. The treatment is usually repeated for 2 to 5 days. Further, it may be repeated at 1 to 3 month intervals until a satisfactory response is obtained.

Body weight and specifics of illness determine the actual dosage. For instance, a common dose regimen is 0.2-0.4 grams of IVIG per kilogram of patient weight for 4 consecutive days, to a total of 2 grams/kilogram (0.7 grams/pound). For a 144 pound person (the typical 70 kilogram man), this would translate to 140 grams), dissolved in salt water.

The infusion time will also vary depending on the amount given per day and the person's tolerance. Your infusion rate will start slowly and gradually increase over the course of the infusion. A typical infusion of IVIG can take several hours.
So, please continue to pray for him. Also, pray for us financially. We appreciate your prayers more than you will ever know.

Marriage Monday-How To Celebrate Valentine's Day, Every Day Of The Year

Valentine's Day, a day we celebrate love. But, why just that one day? We should celebrate love everyday, in every way. On Valentine's Day, we think about candy, roses, jewelry, and going out to dinner. Do not get me wrong, I am like other women, I enjoy those things. But, they are not at the top of my list, instead love, and love only, is what truly matters to me. Love is the most treasured heart gift ever, and does not cost a dime. Lovebug is sweeter than any candy ever could be, his precious aroma fills my world more fragrantly than any rose ever could. His presence in my life, makes my world shine brighter than any diamond ever could. He fills my desires, and longings, more than any gourmet meal ever would. So, what do I want for Valentine's Day? I want what I have had for 25 years, my lovebug, the greatest gift ever.