Our
life has been a whirlwind since my big surgery back in March, and it’s been a
while since I’ve written an update on life, so here it is!
Surgery
& Recovery
During the surgery, the doctors
essentially sliced and diced my insides robotically and then stitched it all
back together. Of course it was all much
more careful and precise than that, but you get the idea. They excised the endometriosis, performed a
bilateral ovarian wedge resection to help treat my PCOS, and then sewed
everything up in a way that greatly reduces scar tissue formation. If you want to read more about the procedures in
detail you can do so here. Later on, the lab confirmed that there had
been twelve areas of endometriosis, including inside the little extra fallopian
tube I mentioned in the Phillips Medical Update and inside one of my ovaries. My doctor was happy with how everything went,
and thankfully the surgery only took 6.5 hours instead of the predicted 8. They didn’t make me stay overnight at the hospital
at all. I moved slowly and tired easily throughout
recovery, but the pain was pretty well manageable with the meds, the ice packs,
a heating pad, and an attentive husband and mother-in-law. After I had recovered a bit, my doctor
started me on antibiotics for a cycle to clear up some cervicitis, and I also started
progesterone and a whole slew of recommended supplements (my nightstand looks
like it belongs to a ninety-year-old). She
is letting me take the progesterone pills for now instead of doing the
injections (hallelujah!), but I still have to get blood drawn once a month
while they get my hormones leveled out.
Now, I’m doing really well. I
have occasional internal pain, but it is minor and short-lived. I haven’t had any bad side effects from the
medication changes, and I’ve had more energy than even before the surgery. I’m glad to be on the other side of surgery
and look forward to continually seeing improvements in my overall health.
Dancing
with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is an annual
fundraiser that is put on for the Gothenburg Community Playhouse/Sun
Theatre. Prominent members of the
community are recruited into four dance teams.
They each have a coach from the community who helps them come up with a
dance routine. After weeks of
preparation, they dress up and compete before an audience for the most votes. This year, the tickets for the event sold out
in just eight minutes. Jon had the
opportunity to contribute by making several videos for the event and by helping
with the live stream.
Family
Visits
A little over three weeks after
surgery, we went to Scottsbluff to visit Jon’s parents and a couple siblings
and nephews. Rebecca (Jon’s oldest sister
from Kentucky) was there with her son (Nathaniel), and we hadn’t seen them in a
long time, so it was good to get to spend time with them. We also went to Mitchell Berean’s worship
night that weekend, and Jon had the surprise privilege of being called up to
lead the song “Do it Again” by Elevation Worship with the team that we had so
often served alongside while we lived in Scottsbluff. It was a precious moment. Ben (Jon’s brother) spoke, JaNae (Ben’s wife)
danced to one of the songs, and I enjoyed holding Micah (their son) even though
it was probably a little too soon after surgery.
My parents came to visit us a couple
weekends later. I love getting to spend
time with them. I am truly so thankful
for the family God gave me. They
happened to come during Gothenburg’s city-wide garage sales, so we went to a
couple of those and also went to a bunch of open houses (more on this later…). The time with them always seems too
short.
Easter
Easter Sunday was my first Sunday
back on worship team. The time leading
up to Easter is busy, but it’s well worth it.
The Crossing had three services instead of our normal two and saw about
five hundred faces come through the doors of the Life Center. It was a sweet time of celebrating our risen
Savior. We are so thankful we have the
freedom to worship openly and the space now to invite more people to come meet,
follow, and love Jesus.
Drive
Conference
The weekend after my parents
visited, Jon left with the staff of The Crossing and some other leaders to
attend the Drive Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. He had a blast and interacted with as many
worship and youth people as he could.
The conference was a time of refreshment for the team as they got away and
were able to catch a renewed vision for what God has called us all to do. Jon returned excited, determined to learn how
to delegate more in areas where he has stretched himself too thin, and
challenged to lead worship more confidently and freely.
Graduations
How graduation sneaks up on me every
year, I’m not sure. Several of our
students were seniors this year, so we had a few parties to attend. Graduation time is bittersweet, but we are
looking forward to seeing how God continues to grow these students and use them
as they begin the transition into adulthood.
Mother’s
Day
Mother’s Day has been difficult for
me the past couple of years, but I really felt at peace this year. I have a wonderful mother, mother-in-law, and
several other mother figures to celebrate.
Another blogger I follow posted about rejoicing with those who rejoice
and weeping with those who weep (Rom. 12:15).
I accepted God’s grace this year in being able to do just that. I’m learning how to be authentically happy
for my mommy friends and my numerous pregnant friends (soooo many babies coming
into the world this summer and fall!) and also ache with longing and empathize
with those who find Mother’s Day to be a challenge for whatever reason. There is room in my heart for both, and I
know that I am genuinely okay as I am.
Intern
Farewell
Ellie finished up her youth and
worship internship at The Crossing and headed off to serve at Maranatha BibleCamp again this summer. She might come
back after the summer for another semester, but she hasn’t decided for sure
about that yet. We will miss having consistent
access to her tender heart, her ability to connect with the teens, her creative
ideas, her incredible talent, and her passion for spiritual growth and for people
in general.
Housing
Last month, we found out that a
couple had approached our landlord about possibly buying the house we are
currently renting. It was not on the
market, but the couple knew that this house would be a good fit for what they
are needing. They came to look at it a
couple different times, but they were looking at another house as well. A little over one week ago, we got the news
that they decided to move forward with buying the house we are living in. The closing date is scheduled for June
10.
We had been in the early stages of
thinking about buying a house, but we weren’t at all thinking it would happen this
soon. At this point, we definitely won’t
be able to close on our own house before we will need to be out of this
one. However, we may end up renting
whatever house we decide to purchase until we can close, or we have had some
other options for temporary housing offered to us as well. We have already started the loan application
process and are happy with how that is going, and we have at least two houses
that are good possibilities. I started
packing this last weekend.
Through all of this upheaval, I have
been unusually and inexplicably at peace.
Jon has been the more anxious one (which is a complete flip-flop from
our usual pattern). The timing of it all
seems both horrific and perfect. My
surgeries are done, and the resulting bills will be paid off soon. We had been concerned about an additional
$40,000 that we appeared to owe on one bill, but I finally was able to confirm
that we don’t owe that amount (a code
was overlooked) just days before we found out that the couple definitely wanted
to buy our house. Jon is supposed to be
at Maranatha Bible Camp again for the majority of June, so we had prayed that
the moving process wouldn’t be during that time. Ironically, June 10 is the first day of the
first camp. It’s one of those times when
you wish you would have prayed a little more specifically (God, we meant after camps were over…but we’ll take it!). Even though everything is still a little up
in the air right now, I know God will provide.
I don’t see the path clearly now, but I have seen His hand all over
this. Plus, we’ve seen his provision time
and time again in the past. It’s all His, and if He is giving this house to meet someone else’s need, then He has a
different one to meet our need. We would
appreciate prayer for the decision making process as we move forward!
Jon’s
Story
Jon shared his story last Sunday at
The Crossing. It was difficult to again
re-live the hellish season of our marriage, but we know that his vulnerability
had an impact on people. We are praying
that more people will be set free from their cycles of guilt, shame, and
sin. We would appreciate prayer for us (and
all the other staff who shared their stories) in this as well. Opening up in a way that might cause others
to break free from sin or turn to Jesus tends to place a target on your back
for spiritual attack.
Lessons
in Trials
A Bible passage popped into my mind
as I was going through my morning routine the other day. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and
sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the
testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4 NIV).
I memorized these verses at school, but that was several years ago. Yet, every word unexpectedly shot through my
mind as clear as day. It’s another one
of those passages that used to be nearly impossible to accept. How could one trial, let alone trials of many
kinds, be considered a joy? How could
things like betrayal, infertility, health problems, multiple unexpected moves,
unfaithfulness, false guilt, true guilt, rejection, financial mountains, job
loss, job struggles, busyness, marital battles, ministry heartaches, emotional
and mental turmoil, loneliness, family tension and trauma, and deaths of loved
ones possibly make a person more complete when they more often feel like they
are tearing you to pieces?
Looking
back, it is so much easier to see. Yes,
there was pain, and yes, I would have chosen different things for myself. I am not the person I was before all of this,
but it’s not because I have lost broken pieces of myself. As I’ve learned to keep choosing Jesus in the
midst of the turmoil, He has been making me more into my truest self – the one
that He already sees as glorified and finished.
He does not revel in my pain; in fact, I believe He cries with me. However, He knows that these things have
taught (and continue to teach) me invaluable lessons in forgiveness, grace,
dependence, flexibility, courage, love, freedom, compassion, obedience,
vulnerability, rest, trust, and ultimately in perseverance. I gain perseverance through each trial because
I can look back and see how God preserved me through the past and how He used
it for the better. I know Him and cannot
deny Him even when my circumstances make me want to do just that. While my trials added to me in so many ways,
they also chipped away at my independent pride, my sense of entitlement, my
sin, and my selfishness. The path to
maturity and wholeness is not one of comfortable and pleasurable ease or
exploration, but of discipline, struggle, and loss.
“He
who as found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake
will find it” (Matthew 10:39 NASB).
“More
than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him,
not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is
through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of
faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship
of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to
the resurrection from the dead. Not that
I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so
that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus”
(Philippians 3:7-12).
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