New News

Well...I know it's been over a week since my last post, but I will explain that in a minute...

First things first, though! We got some new news at the doctor on Friday, some good and some bad. But, I am a "glass-is-half-full" kind of girl, so I'll start with the good news! Matt's liver enzymes were almost back to normal! They came down so drastically in the last week, the doctor said he couldn't explain it! He said it was truly amazing! Well, maybe modern medicine can't explain it, but I can! Our God is AWESOME and He has been at work inside of Matt!! The next time you are praying, please thank Him again for the healing He is bringing to my sweet husband!

The flip side of the coin isn't nearly as bright, I'm sad to say. The results from the last few blood draws they did in the hospital finally came in. They have identified an EXTREMELY rare blood disorder in Matt. In fact, only one in 11 million people have it. It is a genetic mutation that causes a factor-5 deficiency in his blood. (Your blood has several different clotting factors that either help blood clots form when they need to, keep them from forming when they don't, or dissolve them when they are no longer needed. He is essentially missing one of those factors.) This means that he is more prone to developing blood clots than the average person. And, now that he has developed one clot, he is 110 times more likely to develop another. So, in a nut shell, he is on blood thinners for the rest of his life. He will have to have scans done every couple months for the next year or so to make sure he doesn't get any more. Then, we will have to see where we go from there. As you can imagine, a diagnosis like this is life-changing for someone who has spent his life getting shot at, kicking doors in, and fighting people into hand cuffs for a living.

But, as we always try to do, we have given this to God. We knew this could be a possibility, but none of the doctors really thought any of the remaining tests would come back positive. At any rate, we have been walking in faith all month and praying to God that He would show us a different path if Matt's health were to keep him from continuing down his current path. We are still faithful and prayerful that He will provide for us and give Matt a new direction. I can't really give details yet, but God is definitely already working on this! Like I said before, our God is AWESOME!! We know He is going to take care of us, and as soon as I can share the details, I will!!

Now, on a different note, the reason why I haven't posted anything in over a week...

Since I started this blog, I have had no problem knowing what to write. I was simply updating everyone on Matt's condition and telling you how God was helping us cope. But, once the necessity for health updates died down, I was a little unsure about which direction to go. I absolutely want to keep writing! Many of you have commented to me (either on here or otherwise) about how you gain something from reading what I write. That by itself is extremely humbling and amazing at the same time! But, if sharing my life experiences and how God works in my life can help someone else even a little, I don't want to stop writing just because Matt is getting better. I have been thinking and praying about it A LOT this week!! I mean, I am not a minister, I have not been to seminary, I don't have any kind of religious degree. I'm just an ordinary woman who loves God and likes to share that with people. So, here is what I've arrived at...

Every day God does something amazing in my life. Even when His works aren't attached to my husband's health, He is still working! So, I'm going to continue to share how He is working in my life. The month of December was one of the largest storms we have ever had to endure, for more than one reason! But, life is full of storms! No matter the size of the storm, I will continue to praise Him. And, if I get lucky enough to have a period without storms, I will still praise Him! When something happens to me, and I can really see God's hand, or I really have to rely on Him to get me through it, I will share that with you. Hopefully someone will be able to gain something from what I write, and hopefully you will join me in praising the God that I know and love!

"In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven." ~Matthew 5:16