Happy New Year Devotional

First. Alpha. One. Alef. Beginning. The Word.  

A New Year represents so many things for us: 

a fresh start, goals and resolutions, new outlook, renewed hope, good wishes for all. 

However, we bring our same old self into this new year. So, how can we hope to be any different? How can we believe something different will happen this year from what has happened in the past? The difference is not in us. It is in who He, our Savior, was, is and always will be. He said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." In other words, our best intentions are fodder for self deprecation if we are not focused on surrendering ourselves to the will of our Lord. So, it is not my way, my truth or my life, but Him in my life.

Dear Father, Thank you for bringing me to this new year. Thank you for loving me enough to bring me to this time in my life and in all of history. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your creation. I surrender myself and my time here and all of my intentions to your will for this day and for this new year. I pray that I will become less and you will become more in my life, Immanuel. Please show me how to grow still, listen and obey. Please guide me in studying, understanding and living your Word. Adonai, please make me a willing instrument, a co-creator with you and for you to write the words and sing the songs that only my soul could write and sing. I praise you, Lord, and thank you for all that you are. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, I pray, and by the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

2011 Year in Review 

The Little Rock Wilhelms

      February through April Rick did taxes. Deb continued rehab & volunteering at church. We worked the polls twice this year.

      Rick began volunteering at Renewal Ranch in Conway during May. He helped men restoring their lives & needing to take the GED exam to prepare for math, science & history. Deb helped others there with language arts.

      In June, we visited Deb's dearest friend, Cindy, and her baby sis, Cheryl, in Ohio on the way to Vermont. 

The rest of the month was consumed with Amber's wedding.

      Deb's  big family's big reunion was in Kentucky in July.

      October in Stowe, Vermont was spent mostly with the Schaefflers until we drove to Boston for a cruise to Maine, 

Nova Scotia, & New Brunswick.

       Since Tom and Zack live in Austin, 

it was a joy to see them every three months on the return trips from MD Andersen in Houston for Deb’s cancer check-up.

Now, she will have check-ups twice yearly.

November was Deb's second CANCER-FREE YEAR!

      Thanksgiving at our home in Little Rock was with Rick's mom, Mary Louise Allen; Deb's mom & dad, Mary & Bob Sowell; & special friends, Angela Anderson & Nick Branch. A special ceremony was conducted here that day when Colonel Wilhelm granted an honorary promotion to Captain Branch with insignia.

       Deb was scheduled for a lower back fusion surgery in December, but due to sickness, it has been postponed to January 12. Pray that she will remain healthy. Please keep us both in your prayers during the upcoming recovery period. 

We thank you all for blessing our year and wish you a

Merry CHRISTmas – because our Savior, Immanuel, was born for us!


****

January 2011

Tom and Zack, son and grandson in Austin

January 2011
Tom and Zack, son and grandson

January took us to Vermont

to see Amber and Dan, her fiance’.

Although in-laws so often may daunt,

the Schaefflers just weren't that way.

In San Antonio  Rick saw many a friend,

and in Austin, he saw Tom and Zack.

Meanwhile, Deb, was still on the mend

rehabbing her poor, aching back,

while also helping in the church office.

Rick returned to train with IRS

to prepare for ye olde taxes

for all the folks he loves to help best -

seniors, strangers, friends and anyone who asks.








*****

February 2011

Uncommon Courage

Our pastor preached one Sunday and asked for anyone interested to come and pray, ask for prayer, and share praises. The service lasted four blessing-filled hours!  We began meeting nightly and people all over the world heard and all over the country came to see what was happening here.

One day at rehab, a lady  from Atlanta  was in the shower area and asked for towels. She said she had been sleeping in the ICU waiting room since her mother's multiple by-pass surgery. I invited her to sleep in a real bed, have a relaxing, leisurely shower and a good meal.  She was not sure about that, but I gave her my card and told her about our revival. She had heard about it already from a nurse also named Deborah.

I was not surprised when she called asking if she could take me up on my offer. "Absolutely," I said, "when can I pick you up?"  “Later,” she said. I told her it would have to be before church, because there was no telling how long we would be praying. She wanted to go to church with me. She ended up giving a

testimony, in addition to singing acapella in front of total strangers!

When returning from rehab a few days later I was at an intersection where a young man stood on the corner. I motioned for him to come to my car and gave him some bottled water and power bars. The light changed and I knew immediately I was supposed to turn around and talk with him.

He had walked further down the road and I pulled up to wait for him. I asked why he was there. He looked down and mumbled "I dunno." I asked him if he knew our Lord. He said he did. I asked if he was living for our Lord and he said he was not, things had just been tough. He admitted he was angry with God.  I asked and he told me his name, where he was living. I told him about our church revival and that I would pray for him.

A man pulled up and asked if everything was all right here. I guessed we did not look like we belonged together in the eyes of a passing stranger. I laughed and looked at Robert and the man in the truck and told him we were doing just fine, thanks. He pulled away as Robert and I laughed and hugged and parted ways.

*****

June 17, 2011 Mr. & Ms. Dan Schaeffler

    Before Amber and Dan met through mutual friends. Sarah and Travis -- Amber and Sarah were friends through the deaf community, and Travis and Dan had worked together for some years. And, so it seemed inevitable that Amber and Dan would meet. It is difficult to say who is the luckiest of the two, because they are wonderful individuals and as a couple.

    They were blessed to have Bonner, Amber's mom, as their wedding coordinator extraordinaire. They had a wedding rehearsal and dinner, wedding and reception dinner cruise of a life time with many friends and family from near and far in attendance.

    They live on Lake Champlain, along with our grand dog, Miss Dolly. All three enjoy discovering old and new things together.

    While Amber and Dolly knew they enjoyed winter snow sports, it was Dan who introduced them to ice fishing. Dan assures everyone that he knew exactly what he was doing when he took Amber to find the supreme spot for a deer blind to be erected, although she thought they were just wandering around in circles.

We love our son in love, Dan, despite the fact that converted  Amber to being a Giants fan! 

*****

Deb creating on the road

deborahwilhelm.blogspot.com

   Deb began writing poetry in her elementary years. She is a member of ACFW, LRACW and ACFW-Arkansas. She has published in:

·         Houston Chronicle responding to readers about environmental health issues for the City of Houston Public Information Office

·         Various nonprofit publications, including church newsletters, HOPE (Houston Organization for Parent Education), the AIDS quilt volunteer handbook

·         Houston Community College and Texas Medical Center News

   She prepared news releases regarding critical Houston health issues, such as St. Louis Encephalitis and measles outbreaks, and assisted with speech writing for the President of a $8.5. billion, Fortune 500 company.

   Encouraged by a Christian friend & writer, Deb began writing her first Christian novel, The Heart of Her Husband., based on Proverbs 31:10-11.

A family plagued by secrets must overcome fractured relationships to grow closer to God and each other. When the three female protagonists face losing a husband, father and grandfather, what justifies deliverance – continuing to bury or reveal truth?

   At an international conference in St. Louis in September, a literary agent encouraged Deb to submit proposals for her manuscripts. In October she sent her proposal for STARS, a Biblically-based workbook for trauma survivors. Deb had written the book in 2004 and developed a twelve-week series of classes, which she taught at two churches in Arkansas and at a Christian rehab center in Texas. She also facilitated the classes for five years at a Christian crises home in Arkansas until she was diagnosed with cancer. She continues to work one-on-one at home with women in crises when requested by friends and her church.

   In December the agent responded that she thought STARS was worthy of publication, but they were not prepared to do that at this time. Deb continues working on the novel & will continue to seek the right agent for both books.

Devotional

He Walked the Walk

Jesus Christ walked the walk and died on the cross. The cross is a symbol of the divine Savior who overcame the limitations of our humanness. Christ overcame our paganism, burden and pain through His resurrection. 

I relate to overcoming suffering on a daily basis, because of significant health issues like surviving cancer, multiple major surgeries and human imperfections, including those of which I am and am not aware. This brings forgiveness, repentance, love, joy, peace and gratitude. The great missionary Paul wrote:

Romans 8:37: But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us (NASB).

The significance of His death was the fulfillment of prophesy that He would die to bear the price and burden of our sins. He prayed for our forgiveness so that He could sit on the right hand of God on our behalf. He lived again beyond the pain for us, His people, and for His Father, God. Perhaps it was best stated again by Paul:

1 Corinthians 1:18: For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (NASB). 

Although we are perishing, it is by God’s grace and our faith in Him that we are saved. 

Poetry Page: Broken Wings

Broken Wings

Love me softly, stroke me gently, don't control or lead me on.

Take my hand and safely hold me when the light's out and we're alone.

I won't live another nightmare; one more failure just won't do.

Now that I'm in your care, please make the risk worth trusting you.

Truthful loving heals me gently and I can love me alone.

My dream is you're with me and there's nothing to run away from.

When day breaks to move my heaven, please don't say life's all wrong.

Please tell me what I'm givin' along with yours will make us strong.

This light shining within me knows darkness can't block our sun. 

Brighter than dark clouds we see, we raise our hearts as one.

You can love me through the night and ground me in the light.

Because these broken wings won't share a broken song.

Cancer Survivorship

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 was the day after my 58th birthday. My husband, Rick, and my step-daughter, Amber, accompanied me to the oncology gynecologist's office. He was a "tell it like it is" kind-of-a-guy who saw fit to mention his lack of warm and fuzzy characteristics. I did not like him. The way he conducted the physical examination confirmed his roughness around the edges. It was then that I felt something move inside of me. He was moving the tumor that he described as being the size of a grapefruit. He slowly used a sonogram to outline and measure that tumor and others. This cancer originated in the fallopian tube and spread to the ovaries, lymph nodes and colon. While I dressed, Rick got Amber from the waiting room and we all met with the doctor in his office.

Amber and Rick had tears in their eyes. I was diagnosed with Stage 3 fallopian tube cancer. We learned that the name of a cancer depends on its place of origin. This news was mind-numbing, to say the least. The doctor drew a picture of the area that would be surgically removed. I asked if I would end up with a colostomy. The doctor said it was possible, but he would not know until he was performing the actual surgery. Rick asked him to be as aggressive as possible removing the cancer. The surgery was scheduled for later the same week.

We were very quiet during the car ride back to our home. Other than determination and perseverance, I felt very little. I knew whatever happened, my Lord would walk with me through to the other side. One way or the other, I had no doubts about living and had little knowledge of what I was really going to be facing. I was clear, however, that I needed Rick's support and love in a way I had never needed anyone. When we arrived home, I saw that his face was full of feeling. I wanted him to talk to and see his friends as he needed, so that he could handle it all. And above all, I knew I was going to rely heavily on him, because this would be the biggest battle I had ever fought in my life. We prayed for God's mercy and healing. We asked to know His will in all of this and to know how we could glorify Him in the middle of what we envisioned to be quite an upcoming ordeal.

Devotional

2 Corinthians 4:6-9: For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

The great missionary, Paul, addressed these verses to the church at Corinth, one of the wealthiest and most wicked cities of its time, despite a growing Jewish population. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to give up their pagan ways for Christian life. Today, although we may not consider ourselves to be pagan, we struggle with sin.

Jesus is the One who illuminates all the darkest and most hidden places within us. It is through Him that we can experience the wonder of God's glory, although we can hardly fathom it. He does not promise through the blessing of His greatness that we will know only sunshine and flowers for the remainder of our days. But this scripture does reiterate to me that when I surrender my life to Him, I am an earthen vessel wherein His power may shine and bless, not only myself, but others, as well. This is so, not because of who I am, but because of Him.

We all have experienced challenges with health, family, finances and spiritual understanding, and sometimes it is easier to feel sorry for ourselves instead of grateful for the opportunities. You might ask, "What opportunities?" Every challenge brings us that much closer to the suffering of Jesus as He was growing into His responsibility and life mission. There are plenty of opportunities for learning affliction that do not bring us to feel crushed, despairing, forsaken or destroyed. In the process, we develop a deeper commitment to live for the Lord and a more tender compassion for His children. Will you join me today in praying that we might all better allow His glory to shine through us? 

Cancer Survivorship

Happy birthday to me! My gastroenterologist asked me the next day, which was Friday, if I had a gynecologist. I told him that my GP always performed pap smears and exams, but had not done so in over a year. He said, "You need to see a gynecologist as soon as possible. It's not an emergency, but you need to see one as soon as you can."  He provided no other information from the colonoscopy I had the previous day or from the report he had received about it.

My husband, Rick, and I headed over to my GP's office to ask for a referral as soon as possible to see a gynecologist. My GP's nurse assistant said she had been working on getting me in to see a gyn doc the next week. She asked me to wait a minute and came back with a couple of sheets of paper that were stapled together. There was a post-it note with the name of a gyn doc and his office number written on it. The nurse assistant said if I wanted, I could try to catch up with him in the ER at a local hospital where he was on duty.

Rick and I walked out to the car shaking our heads, wondering why on earth would we chase a doctor down at an ER instead of seeing him in his office for a scheduled appointment? I began reading the paper out loud as Rick drove. It was the report from the colonoscopy, referring to several tumors and their sizes. I experienced the same feeling I had when the gastroenterologist was so distant the day before. We got home quickly and googled the name of the gynecologist written on the post-it note. He was an oncology gynecologist. We looked for others in the area to see about getting a second opinion. He was the only oncology gynecologist in Little Rock who was on my insurance provider's list.

When we remembered to check the answering machine, there was a message from the nurse assistant that the appointment with the gyn doc was scheduled for Tuesday. I phoned her right away, bursting at the seams with disbelief, anger and lots of questions. The recording said that they were closed at noon on Friday. We could not believe that no one had sat me down to tell me about the report and what it meant for me. My husband emailed the GP's office manager, explaining our disturbance and wanting more info as soon as possible. There was no immediate response. My husband and I sat with that information and our many questions all weekend. We planned to call their office first thing on Monday morning, which would also be my 58th birthday.