• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Blue House Blog

believer | creating a home of peace, health, abundance and beauty | laughing a lot

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Truth
    • Contact Me
  • Recipes
    • Trim Healthy Mama
    • Nourishing Traditions
  • My Home
    • Remodeling
    • Before and After
  • The Fine Print
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy
    • Media
  • Shop

Refuge and Strength.

Melissa Beene Ford/ tumor

Tomorrow Annie and I are heading to Dallas so that she can have an MRI of her brain.

And if you aren’t familiar with that story, do a search for ‘tumor‘ on this blog. Because I don’t want to talk about it again.

God has healed her…. I have no doubt. Its been done. The price, paid in full.

Regardless of what the scan of her brain shows tomorrow.

Its always a difficult, emotionally draining week for me, in spite of my profound confidence that God heals.

And hard for Annie too.

I don’t shelter her from the reality of it. From the last MRI, I’ve let her know that there will be another MRI, and another one after that. She has no real concept of time (she gets that from me), so I told her the next hospital trip would be after KB’s birthday, after Christmas, and after her birthday.

So as soon as her birthday was behind us she started asking… Do we go to the hospital soon?

It worries her, and that’s the hardest part of this whole process for me.

I can’t stand for her to worry about it.

She will bring it up at odd, random times, like yesterday in the car when she asked, “Remember last time I went to the hospital? I fell asleep without anybody knowing it.”

So cute, her innocent little perspective on things. Little does she know, they snuck an IV into her hand without her knowing it, but I knew… all too well. I watched her slip into unconsciousness in a matter of milliseconds, and my heart ached.

I age ten years every time they put her under.

I hardly sleep in the days preceeding. So at around 2:00 this morning, since I couldn’t sleep, I went downstairs to the couch, and opened up my Bible and read.

(Which is what I do in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep… which leads me to wonder… does God allow this drama because I wouldn’t seek Him otherwise? Hmm…)

Divine Providence led me to Psalm 37, for no real rhyme or reason… and comforting words kept jumping out at me as I read this chapter over and over, oblivious of my sleep window closing as the sun came up. Words like …

…hope in the Lord…
…great peace…
…for the Lord upholds him with his hand…
…the Lord… will not forsake…
…protected forever…

but it was the final words in the final verse that caught my attention the most:

The Lord helps them and delivers them; … because they take refuge in him.

I have many amazing friends and an extended family that ONLY bring blessings into my life.

I know they pray for me and for Annie and for Annie’s situation.

I feel it.

Its my refuge… this knowlege that they pray. I take comfort in the prayers of the ones who love us.

Its my strength… knowing that the Lord upholds, protects, and delivers, and that He always meets me there on the couch in the middle of the night when I need a comforting Word the most.

Recent Posts

  • Ask
  • Two Natural Ways to Cope with Grief
  • Covers Over
  • God vs Earthly Parents
  • For they are ever with me

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rebecca says

    June 16, 2011 at 1:57 am

    I'm praying for you and Annie! Praying for strength and spiritual protection for both your hearts and minds and for God to send sweet gifts all day long and thoughtful funny doctors, nurses, technicians, aids, and administrative staff! And yes, you are right, our God does heal!

    Reply
  2. MTaylor says

    June 16, 2011 at 6:06 am

    I'm praying for you guys too. You're right. God's got this. Hope you'll let me know how it goes.

    Reply
  3. Betsy says

    June 16, 2011 at 4:38 pm

    I love that your blog posts are so hope-filled, and that you CLEARLY rely on the Lord to get you through the hard times. It is a lesson for all of us to turn to Him in times of need. Thank you for your encouraging words that we all need to hear, regardless of what we are going through.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Connect!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Me


Hey there... I'm Melissa! Texas girl. Mom to three + one goldendoodle. Believer. Old house fanatic. Creating a happy + healthy home with purpose is my passion. I'm so glad you're here!

Be sure to subscribe to emails so you don't miss a post!

Search for Something

ARCHIVES

I don’t know who’s big idea it was to strip 80 I don’t know who’s big idea it was to strip 80 years of paint off of this door down to the wood and start over… but that person has no business starting new projects. 😅 My neighbors must have thought this project would never end. *I* thought this project would never end. 😰 If you’re thinking of doing this yourself? Just don’t, ok? Throw the whole door away and buy a new one. 😂🤣 Just kidding.  Old house weirdos like me… we can’t just do things the easy way. Anyhoo… after some trial and error, @sherwinwilliams Celestial is what I landed on, and I have to say… I like it. Periwinkle-ish blue looks great with the yellow house and will look even better when the azaleas are in bloom. Was it all worth it? That’s not important right now. 🤭 Will I do this all again in two years? The magic eight ball says… without a doubt. 👏🏻 I’ve already picked the next color. #gluttonforpunishment #somefoolsneverlearn #oldhouselove #oldhomelove #makinghome #southernliving #gardenandgun #azaleadistrict #tylertx
Spring in the Azalea District makes the winters in Spring in the Azalea District makes the winters in an 80-year-old house completely worth it … what broken pipes, icy hardwood floors and drafty windows? 🤔 I forgot already. #comeonspring #azaleadistrict #tylertx
Happy Saturday ☀️ Happy Saturday ☀️
Salt Lake City is always magical ✨ Salt Lake City is always magical ✨
2022 had its highs and lows for sure, but scrollin 2022 had its highs and lows for sure, but scrolling through my pics from the last twelve months made me realize how blessed and content I am. Prosperity, love, and peace have been ours in abundance, in spite of the pain of losing my dad. The second picture is the last picture of him… the last time I saw him. 💔 But God has been good to my family this year and 2022 is ending far better than it began. 😄 #2022inreview #thanksforthememories
Who wants a Christmas tour of my home? 🙋🏼‍ Who wants a Christmas tour of my home? 🙋🏼‍♀️
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
That’s it. That’s the tour. (Slide two). 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It’s a new trend I’m starting: bare Christmas tree. Lowe’s tag still attached (so quirky and unexpected)! Christmas ornaments still in boxes. Coming soon to an Anthropologie window display near you. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Every year I think, “next year I’ll do better. Next year I’ll have it together.” And then, here we are on the SIXTH Christmas that we’ve been in this house, the sixth Christmas I’ve dragged our chaotic bunch of Christmas mess out of a chaotic garage I still haven’t unpacked from our move six years ago. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Maybe this year is the year I’ll organize it all and put it back neatly so that by Christmas number 7, it will be smooth sailing. People will flock to my social media to see how I’ve pulled everything off SO PERFECTLY. Next year will be my year. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Seems every year there’s less and less bandwidth for all these things. There’s more grief and stress, less money. More demands, less grace. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I put this sign on the wall in my office so I could keep it in front of my eyes: Love. Joy. Peace. And all that. I am SO unlike Jesus most days. So lacking in all of these character qualities. And that’s WITH waking up most mornings and spending my first 30 minutes with God Himself. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
How lost would I be without that? Geez. I can’t fathom. I REQUIRE being transformed by renewing my mind every single morning, and even then, responding to people and life with love, joy, peace and patience doesn’t come naturally. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It’s the goal, though. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This weary world needs that from us Believers during this season, more than ever… even more than an Anthropologie-window-display worthy Christmas home tour. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I’m working on both.
Instagram post 18046618504353300 Instagram post 18046618504353300
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Ella Theme by Code + Coconut