STILL HERE

I am so sorry that I have not posted since Restored It Wednesday. I have been a little "out of sorts" so to speak this week. This week, while I was preparing for Anna Kate's huge Christmas party, I found out that my long time friend Summer Kempfer was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer. She began having pain during her pregnancy with her newborn who is now only 8 weeks old. The doctors could never find the source of the pain because the mass was hidden. This past week, they were led to a doctor who happened to also be a client of Jeremy's. Jeremy is a painter. This doctor quickly found the mass and sent Summer immediately to a specialist here in Birmingham, jumping through hoops to get her in quickly. We are praising God for this man's call to action.
 At first this news really rocked my world.  As someone who has been through some suffering, all of those similar feelings just began to flood my body. I was consumed with thoughts of her, and how she must be feeling. I took a day and fasted and prayed for her healing and for peace and comfort for her and her family during a particularly hard time of year to start a journey like this one. After I cried it out with the Lord and put my big girl pants back on, I came back to my senses, realizing that God's plans and His purpose for our lives are so much greater than any trial, sickness, or hardship we may face. He sees the BIG picture. My friend Summer understands this and knows this very well. She is strong and brave and and in very good spirits. She will walk through this with grace and dignity, pointing all of those watching her to the Father.




I am posting this asking for you all to please pray for my friend Summer, her husband Jeremy and her four precious children.  Summer will be here in Birmingham starting chemo and radiation on Monday. They will be taking a very aggressive approach because the mass is not operable. This news did not take God by surprise and we know that He has got this all the way. We are standing on the word of God and believing that by the stripes on Jesus' back, she is healed in the name of Jesus.Thank you in advance for joining me in prayer for Summer. Isaiah 43¹ But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
³ For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush^[a] and Seba in your stead.
⁴ Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
⁵ Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.
⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
⁷ everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.” ⁸ Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf.
⁹ All the nations gather together
and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold this
and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
¹⁰ “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
¹¹ I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from me there is no savior.
¹² I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God.
¹³ Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”