You Guys

Graysen is Ready

She's been preparing for this for months. She's been exercising to get physically strong. She had been advised to get her core as strong as possible, so it could do the job when the back muscles won't be able to.  Shes's been eating well - to avoid losing weight and to stay healthy. She's been getting rest (well, until Summer in a Week!), she has made tough choices, she has simplified, and she has prayed.  She has prepared herself as best as she could.

She's Ready.

And then there's you guys. You have come to us from everywhere.


We haven't shared our story as a way to throw ourselves a pity party or to try to get sympathy. It's not to say that we have this terrible thing to deal with, or to say that life's not fair.  Actually, it's not any of that. It's a faith story.  Our faith story.

We have confidence in the God who holds our hands.  We know that He is a God with plans for us that we cannot foresee, He allows us to experience life in its fullness -the good, the bad, and the unknown, He gives us beauty and joy, He creates in us a need for Him, He takes us down paths that we didn't choose and that we don't want, and He never leaves us. He draws us near to Him and gives us mercy, peace, and grace.  He allows us to know the pain of hardship and heartache - not as a punishment or cruelty, but as an opportunity for us to experience His presence and healing. You cannot know what it is to have comfort and healing if you have never been alone or afraid or hurt. It is an opportunity for a portion of His glory to be revealed. He is our God.  He is good and kind and fair. He hurts when we hurt. He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us.

And He has sent you to us. We are blessed and we are ready.


As I write these words, a song I know keeps playing through my mind.

"Our God is an awesome God.  He reigns from Heaven above, with wisdom, power, and love. Our God is an awesome God!"


To say thank you is inadequate.  The outpouring of love, support, and prayer has both overwhelmed and humbled us.  It has been a true gift and blessing.  More than you can imagine.

For months I have cried.  I have worried.  I have dreaded.  I have been full of fear and anxiety and stress, whenever I thought too much about Graysen having this surgery.  I have planned every aspect of this trip that I could possibly have any control of.  I have made arrangements, reservations, and schedules for anything and everything I could think of.  I planned and prepared.  I tried to imagine how on earth I was going to handle this, and every time I thought of that day, I didn't imagine that I would handle it very well.

But something happened.  Actually, a lot of somethings happened.  My Jesus Calling devotional  - the words and scripture just seemed to be exactly what I needed.  The study of Ephesians at church - there were things in there that just gave me strength.  My Bible study group that I recently joined.  It wasn't the study we were doing necessarily - it was some things that were shared.  Some things that really hit me right where I needed it.  Stories of hard things and hard times.  Heartache and loss.  And the story of how a doctor became a Believer because of the way a mom and dad showed their faith, even during the middle of devastating news.  It was that story.  I knew then that it was time to share this struggle and all that Graysen and our family are feeling.  It was time to tell a faith story of our own.

So, I began the Blog.  Graysen's BackStory.

I did it to answer the questions.  To share our trial and explain our decisions.  To share how God has a plan and is guiding us every step of the way.  I did it so you would understand my daughter.  To let you see what is hidden so well.  I did it for her - so she will have this to keep.  I did it for anyone else who may be traveling down this same path and come across this blog.  To help them along.  I did it for me - to help me put into words what I have struggled with it my heart.

I had lots of reasons for doing it, but I had no idea what would come of it.

You.

Support.  Love.  Words of compassion and encouragement.

We have had responses from people we see everyday and people we haven't seen in years.  People who live right next door and people from all over the country.  We know you in so many different ways.  Family. Neighbors. Childhood and high school friends.  College buddies.  Colleagues.  Team-mates.  Babysitters.  People from every church we've ever been involved in.  YoungLife.  Teachers.  Coaches.  Moms and Dads of our friends. Parents of our kids friends. Sunday school teachers.  The guy who does my nails.  And people we don't even know.   You guys are amazing and have made such a difference.

 Prayer.  You are praying for us. We can feel it.


 Graysen is ready.


The calm and peace and strength that we feel can only be explained by prayer.  We cannot believe how differently we feel today than we did three weeks ago.  I guess this is something that I hadn't even realized when I began the blog.  I knew that I felt led to write it, but I had no idea that it would create such an army of prayer warriors fighting this battle with us.  It has leant strength and peace that we could not find on our own.  It has readied us.  God is so faithful.

We leave later this morning.  We take you with us, as you continue to text, email, call, comment, share the blog, and pray.  We take your love and support and we take our confidence in a God who loves Graysen more than we do.

We will do our very best to keep the blog up to date and keep everyone informed.  We ask that you pray for a clear answer for which procedure is best for Graysen.  Please pray for everything to go according to plan.  Please pray specifically for NO complications. For manageable pain and no sickness after surgery.  Please pray for an easy wake up for Graysen and a strong recovery.

Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.



We love you all:)

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace.  In this world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world."  John 16:33